The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has scheduled a public hearing at the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort set for Tuesday, April 16 on a plan to turn the coral reefs within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands into a federally protected marine
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has scheduled a public hearing at the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort set for Tuesday, April 16 on a plan to turn the coral reefs within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands into a federally protected marine sanctuary.
If the sanctuary is created it would be the largest geographic area ever designated for conservation in the United States, containing 2.7 million acres of coral reef, 14 million nesting seabirds and 250 fish species, many of which are found only in Hawaiian waters.
The Kaua’i meeting is scheduled to be held in the Jasmine Ballroom of the Radisson at 6 p.m. Similar meetings are scheduled throughout the state from April 9 to April 17.
The discussions are designed to gather comprehensive comments though small group facilitators and note takers, according to an NOAA press release.
“Public input matters a great deal and is the key to determining what a national marine sanctuary will represent in this special Hawaiian ecosystem,” said Robert Smith, NOAA’s reserve coordinator for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve.
Those unable to attend the meeting can submit written comments to http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov within 48 hours of the meeting.
Comments can also be mailed to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, 6700 Kalaniana’ole Highway, Suite 215, Honolulu, Hi, 96825.
For more information about NOAA’s National Ocean Service, connect with www.nos.noaa.gov
