Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act
Concepts, Recommendations and Action Items

GUIDING CONCEPT 1

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Mechanisms that encourage greater cooperation and coordination to more fully manage, protect, and use the forests of Hawaii are needed. This increased collaboration is needed among all interests on all ownerships for the forests. Addressing natural resource management issues on a larger, landscape level will help meet forest health and sustainability goals island-wide.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Using a partnership-based, ecosystem management approach, develop a comprehensive management, protection, and utilization strategy for the forest resources of Hawaii.

SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS:

Where appropriate, develop regional or island-wide "forest partnership working groups" (or other advisory groups as needed) to help develop forest stewardship strategies.
Convene a "Governor’s Conference on Forest Stewardship" to identify high-priority forest resource management issues. This conference will act to monitor accomplishments and update the Hawaii Tropical Forestry Recovery Action Plan.
Recruit and fill a State Forest Resource Planning Position in DOFAW. This position should focus on: coordination of the HTFRA Plan; development of partnerships and coalitions; and update the existing State Forest Resource Plan (see Action item 4).
Update and revitalize the current State Forest Resource Plan, using ecosystem management approaches and concepts.
Develop legislative language in the Forestry Title of the 1995 Farm Bill to adequately authorize federal assistance for the enhancement of Hawaii’s tropical forests.
Implement an integrated, statewide forest resource information management system and locate it in DOFAW. A GIS component will be important technology for this system.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Develop and conduct a balanced and objective information program that addresses all aspects of Hawaii's forests and incorporates Hawaiian concepts, such as ahupua'a-based stewardship and information about native Hawaiian rights, through an information office that provides support and guidance to existing and new environmental education programs.

SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS:

Establish an information office to be a clearinghouse and focal point for all forest-related information in the state.
Information materials produced in behalf of the information office should emphasize Hawaiian concepts.
The information office should develop and promote environmental education programs that objectively address natural resource management to meet environmental, social, and economic concerns in a balanced manner. The office should encourage groups, organizations, and agencies to conduct well-rounded educational programs and provide support for those efforts. Community members should be directly involved in the development of such programs.
The office should coordinate and sponsor regular field trips on each island to encourage and support interested community members’ visits to forest sites to discuss problems and opportunities for Hawaii’s forests.
The office should coordinate a speaker’s bureau and provide topic experts to be used by the existing network of academic, youth, and community environmental education programs.
Information developed for distribution should include all media.

Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act
Concepts, Recommendations and Action Items

GUIDING CONCEPT 1

Main Links

Concept Links

Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act Concepts, Recommendations and Action Items

GUIDING CONCEPT 1

Main Links

Concept Links

Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act
Concepts, Recommendations and Action Items