Hauoli Makahiki Hou From KAHEA's Staff
 
Resent-Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:41:25 -0600 (CST)

Aloha x_man!

We just had our last staff meeting of 2007, and all of us were
shocked that the year is already ending! So much has happened this
year. Hauoli Makahiki Hou to KAHEA's friends and supporters!

An alliance is truly successful when it is made up of individuals
bringing their gifts, energies, and talents to the cause. You are
a part of a thousand-strong alliance, working to protect Hawaii's
unique cultural and natural resources. Many of you have signed
petitions, forward alerts to friends, attended vigils, hearings,
and submitted testimony on issues of crucial importance to protect
our resources in Hawai'i.

Many of you have also contributed financially. Our funding - like
our programs - is a grassroots effort.  As such, KAHEA does not
accept federal or corporate dollars . Whether $5 or $5,000, it is
the financial support of many INDIVIDUALS, all giving what they
can, that keeps the lights on and the campaigns going here at KAHEA.

As the year comes to a close, it is time again for us to ask for
your help. Your tax-deductible gift to KAHEA will be put to work
in 2008 to achieve:

- A People's Monument in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.  It was
only through public action and activism that strong protections
were signed into law, creating Papahanaumokuakea Marine Monument.
It will take persistent public vigilance to ensure those laws are
fully implemented through the Management Plan and includes a Monument
Advisory Council, a ban on bioprospecting, and a public permitting
process. Stay alert! Public action needed this spring!

- Minimize Expansion of Navy Activities in Hawaiian Waters, including
Northwest Hawaiian Islands.  Together we can prevent harm to our
delicate and dynamic ecosystem from the Navy's expanded war exercises-
set safe ocean noise levels to protect marine mammals from deadly
active sonar, stop bombing trials in unique ocean habitats and end
the ballistic missile tests over Nihoa Island.  Crucial public
comment period expected in January.

-Community-Based Management of Sacred Mauna Kea. Secure a transparent
community-based process in support of a sound Management Plan for
Mauna Kea--a plan that will assess the carrying capacity of the
summit region and the cumulative impacts of development on Native
Hawaiian rights, Hawaii Island aquifer and the fragile alpine summit.

- Support for Sustainable Local Agriculture. Support efforts of
local farmers and Hawaiian cultural practitioners to end genetic
modification and patenting of our unique resources. We are developing
educational outreach and legislation towards a sustainable agricultural
industry in our islands that will feed Hawai'i's people.  Save Haloa
Day at the State Capitol January 16, 2007.

-Protect Public Coastal Access Rights. Survey & assess areas where
public beach access is being denied or limited.  Working with others
in our alliance to develop stronger protections and help uphold
existing laws that ensure our right to access the beach.

This year we will also be embarking on an ambitious Environmental
Justice Campaign to protect our health and our 'aina from toxic
ontamination.

- Educate public about toxic contamination sites in our communities.

- Clean-up and monitoring contaminated sites.

- Prevent future contamination through supporting sustainable land
use and enforcing public health and environmental protection laws.
To learn more about our work, visit our website: www.KAHEA.org.

KAHEA's programs can't go on without your kokua!  Giving to KAHEA
is easy: just visit our website, www.KAHEA.org, and click on the
"donate now" link to make a secure on-line donation or send a check
to P.O. Box 270112 Honolulu, Hawai'i 96827.

This year, your gift to KAHEA goes even farther thanks to a matching
grant from Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation. They will match a
portion of every dollar given to KAHEA--meaning your donation does
even more to keep us effective!

You can make a gift of resource protection to a friend with a
donation in their name, make a donation as a family project, or
simply make a financial contribution to KAHEA from YOU!

Mahalo nui loa for supporting KAHEA.  We appreciate everyone's
continued assistance over the years.  KAHEA is primed for the
challenges facing us in the next year! We can't do it without you!
You make it happen. It's that simple. Mahalo nui loa for your
generous support.

Aloha Pumehana from all of us at KAHEA,

Miwa, Marti, La'akea, and Bryna