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Mahalo piha Pono,

The East Maui taro farmers have expressed their deep gratitude to you folks, for caring enough to speak up in support of water rights for the farmers and native stream ecosystems. Read on to find out what happened...

Art kindly donated by Solomon Enos, Hawaiian artist/farmer.
Support Native Art- www.HawaiianArtPlaza.com!

Your voice helped make a historic decision last week. By taking the time to submit testimony to the Water Commission, you helped East Maui taro farmers, and taro farmers across the Hawaiian Islands, take a major step towards restoring desperately needed water to their streams.
- Partial stream flow was restored to 8 of the streams in East Maui. While not yet a comprehensive solution, it is an important beginning.
-This water will begin to help rehabilitate unique and endangered Hawaiian ecosystems and watershed resources that can benefit the entire community, not just one corporation.

Over 400 people submitted written testimony to the Water Commission and several hundred showed up to testify. Together, you successfully pushed the Water Commission to begin to uphold the water protections outlined in the Hawaii State Constitution and Water Code. Finally!

For over five years, the Water Commission (CWRM) and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) have delayed enforcing the water rights of taro farmers and protecting the natural ecosystem & watershed, despite court rulings upholding those protections against corporate water diverters like East Maui Irrigation Company (EMI). EMI and its parent company, Alexander & Baldwin, have dominated politics and profitted from selling stolen public water since the days of big sugar plantations. You have helped to finally tip the balance in favor of the public, the environment, and the rule of law by demonstrating the overwhelming support for restoring the natural flows of Hawaii's vital freshwater streams over the profit interests of corporations.

Life is where the water is.
As the Hawaiian kupuna and natural resource experts had foretold- just one month after restoring stream flow to Waikane stream, in Wailuanui East Maui, native marine life has already re-inhabited the stream, estuary (muliwai) and bay. The local community can finally return to their traditional practices such as farming, fishing, and enjoying the cool water recreationally. It had been 30 years since the Waikane native ecosystem existed in its natural healthy state. It is hoped that coming generations will not have to experience the environmental devastation that the community has suffered without water.

Thank you very much for being a part of this historic restoration of justice and life to the communities and ecosystems of East Maui. Much more must still be done to fully enforce the water rights of taro farmers, so stay tuned for more updates. For now, click here to read the mahalo & detailed update from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, the attorneys for the taro farmers hui, Na Moku Aupuni O Koolau Hui.

Aloha Aina,
Us Guys at KAHEA
The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance

www.kahea.org
blog.kahea.org
toll free phone/fax 1-888-528-6288