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ENVIRONMENT

In June 1992, Neil Abercrombie and his colleague, the late Rep. Patsy Mink, introduced legislation to preserve a 1400 square mile area in the shallow waters off Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island as a National Marine Sanctuary to protect the endangered humpback whale. In November 1992, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was officially designated, and has become one of 13 sanctuaries in the National Marine Sanctuary System, created under the U.S. Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. Nearly two-°©‐thirds of the North Pacific humpback whale population migrates to Hawaii each winter.

Abercrombie has always believed that Hawaii is defined by a special bond with all the other species on the planet and a profound respect for their right to exist in harmony with the land. His role on the House Committee on Natural Resources has provided the opportunity to be in the forefront of protecting and preserving our natural treasures: the land, the oceans and the creatures in them. He was instrumental in legislation to expand Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island. He introduced and passed the measure creating the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Expansion on the North Shore of Oahu, and in the 2010 Appropriations Bill for the Department of Interior, was able to help target $7.4M to complete the purchase of the refuge land.

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In the Army’s Compatible Use Buffer program, the Congressman found funding to conserve large tracts of valuable land on Oahu in Waimea, Moanalua Valley, and Pupukea and Paumalu. He also secured House support and passage for legislation and funding for the National Tropical Botanical Garden to continue its operations on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island, preserving Hawaii’s tropical plant diversity and stemming the tide of extinction.

His concern about the effects of human-°©‐related activity on our marine mammals, led Abercrombie to establish a comprehensive research program, focusing on the use of Sound Navigation and Ranging (Sonar) equipment by the U.S. Navy. Sonar’s powerful sound beams can damage the sensitive hearing of marine mammals — primarily whales and dolphins— and may have even caused some deaths. He has also targeted Department of Defense funds to mitigate the effects of Navy training exercises in the marine environment by updating naval technology to avoid harming marine mammals. Additionally, he authored and introduced legislation to better understand and protect our marine mammals such as the beloved Hawaiian Monk Seal and Humpback Whales in the National Marine Mammal Research Program Act. Finally, Abercrombie also introduced and passed the legislation to ban the practice of shark finning in U.S. waters.

Abercrombie also believes that widespread preventive measures and aggressive response to outbreaks are essential to protect Hawaii’s native species and natural ecosystems from alien and invasive species. In 2004, he requested a hearing in 5 Hawaii by the House Committee on Natural Resources to explore serious invasive species problems in the Hawaiian archipelago. The hearing enabled the Committee, including Rep. Abercrombie, to analyze Hawaii’s efforts and identify areas in which the federal government could assist in the fight against invasive species. He has also helped obtain federal funding to prevent the spread of invasive species and assisted in House passage of legislation to stop the spread and begin the eradication of Guam’s brown tree snake.

As an island state, Hawaii’s most precious resource is clean potable water. In 2005, Abercrombie introduced and won House passage of the Hawaii Water Resources Act to authorize projects: in Kalaeloa, Kealakehe and Lahaina to ensure Hawaii residents have adequate potable water supplies.

However, water can also be a destructive force in the islands. Following the Ka Loko Dam break on the island of Kauai, the Congressman worked to secure passage of the Dam Safety Act, which requires an updated inventory and assessment of dams in the United States. He also supported increased funding for these goals.