Our pledge
As a member of the Care for ‘Āina Now (CAN) Coalition, our organization has a shared vision to make the well-being and safety of Hawai‘i’s people our priority. When we take care of our ‘āina, the ‘āina will take care of us and provide what we need. We believe this principle of reciprocity is inherent in the cultural wisdom of mālama ‘āina.
We believe the natural beauty of our islands beckons us to be responsible environmental stewards. This beauty also serves as critical infrastructure for our islands. As a state, we have neglected to make natural resource maintenance and restoration a priority. We have within our power the ability to change our trajectory as a state, now and for future generations.
The Maui wildfires and other fires throughout our state have served as poignant examples of the importance of maintaining and restoring lands surrounding us because of erratic weather conditions, including droughts and high winds. It is our kuleana to care for these lands and take adaptive climate measures to minimize our risks.
Empowering the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) with the necessary resources will help ensure we can all continue to enjoy Hawaii’s beauty, have peace of mind for all those in our ‘ohana, be more resilient, and reap the benefits of a sustainable economy. Funds set aside for DLNR to maintain and restore our forests, hiking trails, parks, beaches and reefs is imperative.
Establishing this fund is long overdue. We cannot put lives, our natural resources, and our economy at risk. We must all heed the lessons we have learned from Maui to make Hawaii a safe place to live, work and play.
We invite all those who share our vision to join our efforts.
Together, we CAN make a difference to enhance safety in our island home.
