[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3162-S3163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. HIRONO:
  S. 4464. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating 
certain land as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, the 
Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act. This bill requires the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability 
and feasibility of designating certain land in Hawaii as the Kaena 
Point National Heritage Area. Such a designation would bring Federal 
resources to bear on elevating public awareness of Kaena Point through 
increased interpretation and enhanced management activities to protect 
resources, both cultural and natural, for future generations.
  The National Park Service currently oversees 55 National Heritage 
Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaii. Kaena Point, 
located on the westernmost tip of Oahu, is home to some of the last 
remaining unimproved semiwilderness areas on Oahu and one of the last 
intact dune ecosystems in Hawaii. Native species such as critically 
endangered Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and 
green sea turtles can be found in the waters at Kaena Point. Native 
shorebirds such as albatrosses and shearwaters also frequent Kaena 
Point to nest. In addition, the area is one of the last remaining 
examples of intact coastal strand vegetation on Oahu and is home to a 
number of endangered plant species and the endangered yellow-faced bee.
  Kaena Point is significant to Native Hawaiian culture, being deemed 
one of the most sacred places on Oahu as it is home to numerous 
cultural and historic sites. The area currently includes a State park 
and a Natural Area Reserve, both operated by the Hawaii Department of 
Land and Natural Resources. Kaena State Park is the second most visited 
park on Oahu, illustrating the significance of the area.
  This bill directs the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to 
conduct a study in consultation with State and local historic 
preservation officers, State and local historical societies, State and 
local tourism offices, and other appropriate organizations and 
governmental agencies. This study would, among other things, assess the 
area's unique cultural, historic, and natural resources, cultural 
contributions to the story of the United States,

[[Page S3163]]

ability to provide recreation and educational opportunities, resources 
available for interpretation by visitors, inclusion of local 
stakeholders supportive of and involved with the planning of the 
Heritage Area, existence of a local management entity willing to work 
with these stakeholders to develop the Heritage Area, and include a map 
identifying the boundaries of the Heritage Area.
  The Secretary of the Interior is given 3 years to conduct the study 
and report the results to Congress. Information from that report will 
then indicate if Kaena Point is a suitable location to be added as a 
National Heritage Area and if so, the boundaries for such a 
designation. This bill is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land 
and Natural Resources.
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