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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
85 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
urging the department of land and natural resources to preserve and expand pueo habitat areas throughout the state and conduct an extensive pueo habitat inventory.
WHEREAS, across the world, the owl serves as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge; and
WHEREAS, the pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl, is an endemic subspecies of the short-eared owl and is thought to have colonized the Hawaiian islands sometime after the arrival of Polynesians; and
WHEREAS, the pueo have a dark mask surrounding large, yellow eyes and, unlike most owls, are mostly active during the day and fly at high altitudes above open, grassy areas; and
WHEREAS, the pueo nest on the ground in grassy areas, laying three to six eggs over a few months, and young pueo depend on their parents for approximately two months; and
WHEREAS, the pueo is known as the "bird of wisdom" and has a special place in Hawaii's culture; and
WHEREAS, the pueo is known for offering guidance and protection and is revered by the ancient Hawaiians as an ‘aumakua, or ancestral guardian, of many Hawaiian families; and
WHEREAS, throughout the State there are streets, areas, schools, and valleys that use and reference the pueo; and
WHEREAS, pueo were widespread at the end of the nineteenth century but are thought to be declining, especially on the Ewa plain; and
WHEREAS, young pueo nestlings are vulnerable to feral cats, dogs, rats, and mongoose, and the State has listed the species as endangered on Oahu; and
WHEREAS, state- and privately-supported management activities designed to protect other endangered birds and preserve habitats can benefit the pueo, as there are more pueo on lands where game birds also are common; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is urged to preserve and expand pueo habitat areas throughout the State and conduct an extensive pueo habitat inventory; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to submit a report regarding the pueo habitat inventory, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and Commander of Navy Region Hawaii.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Department of Land and Natural Resources; Preservation; Pueo Habitat