Community meeting on mangrove eradication
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 8:16PM A community meeting will be held Tuesday, August 31, 6 p.m. at the Pahoa Community Center to discuss the ongoing mangrove eradication project at several public and private properties on the Island of Hawaii, including the Wai` Opae Marine Life Conservation District, Isaac Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki, and Onekahakaha beach park in Hilo.
Mayor Billy Kenoi has called the meeting to allow residents to make any comments they may have regarding this project.
The County of Hawaii, Big Island Invasive Species Council, U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, Hawaii Department of Health and Hawaii Tourism Authority are partners in the project to remove the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, an invasive species, from the coast using an approved herbicide and manual means of eradication.
Some residents have expressed concerns that the approval process for application of the herbicide to remove the red mangrove did not require a public hearing prior to the start of the project and a legal challenge to the project is currently pending in Third Circuit Court.
This meeting is designed to allow those with concerns, and those who support the project, to make their views known in a public setting sponsored by the Office of the Mayor.
For more information, call the Office of the Mayor, 961-8565.
