NOAA coordinator invites Kilauea residents to comment on sanctuary master plan and EIS

Jean Souza, Kauai program coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Sanctuary System, briefed the KNA on an upcoming master plan and name change for the formerly named Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Souza said the master plan will be released with an environmental impact statement and "the public will be invited to comment during a 90 day comment period" in 2015 and invited residents to engage in co-management and water-quality initiatives.

Attendees asked about the military’s effect on the ocean environment; Souza said the military takes legal and physical priority over NOAA in disputes. She also discussed water-runoff concerns from farms and golf courses and suggested partnerships such as creating a water-quality research area similar to work by Makaala Kaaumoana and the Hanalei Watershed Hui. The presentation included distribution of a newly published marine shoreline fisheries educational calendar for 2015.