The Garden Island Resource Conservation and Development group is joining the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils in celebrating “National RC&D Week,” Sept. 21-27. The Kaua‘i group accepted a mayoral proclamation announcing the week-long celebration that recognizes the
The Garden Island Resource Conservation and Development group is joining the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils in celebrating “National RC&D Week,” Sept. 21-27.
The Kaua‘i group accepted a mayoral proclamation announcing the week-long celebration that recognizes the anniversary of the first designation of RC&D Areas by Congress through the Agriculture Act of 1962.
That act set out to give federal support to locally focused program that help to build capacity in rural areas in terms of agriculture, community development and natural resource management, states a release from GIRC&D.
Today there are 375 RC&Ds across the nation, including one for each county in the state of Hawai‘i.
The GIRC&D will open the week with its annual meeting on Sept. 21 to highlight the diverse local projects that are housed under this umbrella.
GIRC&D has nine committees to meet its broad mission of improving economic, social and environmental opportunities for the people of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau through the conservation, development, and prudent use of natural and human resources.
Each RC&D is made up to committees to address the specific needs of the local community it serves.
GIRC&D has committees on agriculture, community development, cultural awareness, education, forestry, invasive species, infrastructure, and parks and recreation.
Some of the projects coming under the GIRC&D include the Kaua‘i Agricultural Development Program, Koke‘e Resource Conservation Program, Westside Watershed Council, Na Pali Coast Restoration, Ho‘oulu Ke Ola O Na Pua kupuna program in Kaua‘i’s schools, Kaua‘i Landscape Industry Council, the Kaua‘i bike path, Zero Waste Management, Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee, Hanapepe Parks improvement, and others.
More projects are added to the list as community needs increase.
“Seed to Table,” a farmer training program in Kilauea, Anahola Beach Park improvements, and the Kaua‘i Endangered Bird Recovery programs are among those added to the GIRC&D umbrella this year.
In these times of economic downturns and budget reductions, community-based projects like the ones under GIRC&D help to assure the sustainability and resilience of local agriculture, natural resources, and community.
The GIRC&D is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based organization focused on the prudent use of natural and human resources on the island of Kaua‘i. It is sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a federal agency, and managed locally.
GIRC&D local sponsors include the Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development and the East and West Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
For more information on the GIRC&D programs, visit its Web site at www.gircd.org.
For more information on the National RC&D week, visit www.rcdnet.org.
