TITLE:
Federal and State Land Acquisition in Hawaii: Conservation in the Epicenter of Extinction
AUTHORS:
Gwendolyn A. Richardson
KEYWORDS:
Hawaii, Endemism, Extinction, Land Conservation, Public Policy
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
26,
2022
ABSTRACT: The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, reinstated in 2018 through the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, provided the United States Federal Government the ability to acquire and fund land acquisition for the purpose of preservation, development, and public enjoyment. In 2005, the state of Hawaii passed Act 156 which was later amended by Hawaii Revised Statues §173A. Established through this legislation is a land conservation fund providing the state government of Hawaii analogous land acquisition abilities to that of the federal government. It is through these laws that the federal government and state of Hawaii can reinforce the conservation of the fragile Hawaiian tropical rainforest ecosystem. This paper will identify discontinuities as well as opportunities in the implementation of this legislation to provide recommendations to improve the ability of both state and federal government to protect and conserve at risk ecosystems and lands like those present in Hawaii.