The Hawaii Restoration and Conservation Initiative - an Overview
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The Hawaii Restoration and Conservation Initiative - an Overview
Christian Giardina presenting. Native ecosystems and the Hawaiian culture they sustain face a stark future. While many landscapes, riparian areas and coastlines across Hawai'i have conservation status, and? restoration and conservation activities by diverse entities proceed on numerous fronts, the potent forces of invasive and exotic plants, animals and pathogens are wreaking havoc on our native ecosystems. The Hawaii Restoration and Conservation Initiative seeks to: i) establish a new dialogue between traditional practitioners, land and water managers, scientists and Hawaii's diverse communities; ii) implement new tools and strategies for conducting restoration and conservation at large spatial scales; and iii) support and mentor a new generation of stewards. To achieve these goals, this initiative requires a comprehensive planning, development and demonstration process that will provide Hawaii with a blueprint for: embracing a new culturally-based land stewardship paradigm; undertaking emergency actions to prevent imminent extinctions and new invasive introductions; establishing a comprehensive statewide assessment; enhancing cultural opportunities; developing new tools; implementing new restoration and conservation strategies; and expanding educational, recreational and economic development opportunities. Although both the scale and scope of this integration are unprecedented in Hawaii, large-scale efforts are the norm for tackling major ecological problems in other regions. Numerous successes at smaller scales across Hawai'i, a new generation of tools based on modern science that permits understanding and managing Hawaiian ecosystems at an unprecedented level of detail and the strength of already established partnerships provide the necessary pieces for achieving large-scale restoration and conservation in Hawaii while also stimulating a new sustainability economy.
Blip | August 9, 2009
