Nearly 20 years ago, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which protected 104 million acres of that state by declaring them as national parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness. The act, which many Alaskan politicians and
Nearly 20 years ago, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National
Interest Lands Conservation Act, which protected 104 million acres of that
state by declaring them as national parks, wildlife refuges and
wilderness.
The act, which many Alaskan politicians and business people
viewed as a betrayal of the state and a recipe for economic ruin, has helped to
spur Alaska’s $1 billion annual tourist economy. Belatedly, Mr. Carter has
become a hero to many Alaskans.
There is a lesson here for Hawaiians.
Twenty-two thousand acres of Kaua’i agricultural land are presently for sale by
the Grove Farm Co. This land encompasses the region known as Maha’ulepu,
approximately 2,700 acres of beautiful and mysterious coastal land. Maha’ulepu
includes the largest sinkhole in Hawai’i, caves, petroglyphs, a pathway to the
beautiful and protected Kipu Kai coast, an intact reef system, endangered
species and ancestral remains. As a properly managed and protected park, this
paradise would bring tourists to Kaua’i and Hawai’i, just as the Arctic
national wildlife refuge has brought many people to Alaska.
I hope that the
governor and other state politicians act on this opportunity to leave a lasting
economic and historic legacy.
Cristal Weber
Kapa’a
