People of Hawaii, how are we doing managing our forested lands? What services are provided by the trees in our cities and neighborhoods? How much is our
water really worth? What do we value most about our environment? What about fire, invasive species, endangered species, our wildlife. What kind of data,
technology and tools are being used for planning and managing our forests and urban areas? And how will we pay to manage our precious natural resources in
this time of economic crisis? How can you stay informed and involved in caring for our forests, both public and private?
To learn some of the answers to these questions, or to answer yours, the Hawaii SWARS team will be hosting a session at the Hawaii Conservation Conference that will be open to the public (for free!). Our five panelists will introduce you to an ongoing planning process called the Hawaii Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions, and the Statewide Resource Strategy (also called the Hawaii SWARS project). Each state in the country is required to produce a SWARS plan, and submit them to the Secretary of Agriculture by June of 2010 in order to qualify for a number of Federal programs. But Hawaii is unique, and so is our SWARS project. We will introduce you to the team of State, Federal and nonprofit partners working on this exciting project. And we hope that you will share with us your thoughts and feelings about how we as a society should proceed in protecting our beloved island home, our forests, our reefs, our communities and our precious resources and sacred places.
For more information please visit the Hawaii Conservation Alliance website, the website for the 2009 Hawaii Conservation Conference, and for our particular session. Please note, this is session is part of their Open House Day, and it is free and open to the public. In order to attend the full conference, please register by visiting their website .
We look forward to seeing you there.
