{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1019", "Congress Approves Case, Kahele Measure To Advance Possible Designation Of Ka'ena Point As A National Heritage Area", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Ed Case", "C001055", "case.house.gov", "case", "https://case.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=16", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) \u2013 U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives has given final Congressional approval to a bill he and U.S. Congressman Kai Kahele (HI-02) introduced to advance the possible designation of Ka\u2018ena Point on O\u2018ahu\u2019s westernmost tip as Hawaii\u2019s first Natural Heritage Area (NHA).\n\nThe Senate, where a companion measure was introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono, approved passage of the bill earlier this week as part of an end-of-117th-Congress NHA package. The measure now goes to President, who is expected to sign it into law.\n\n\u201cOur bill, which I first drafted and introduced in the 116th Congress (2019-2021), directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to evaluate whether Ka\u2018ena Point, a treasured wilderness area on otherwise densely-populated O\u2018ahu, should be designated as our first NHA,\u201d said Case. \u201cKa\u02bbena Point, largely state-owned, is the perfect candidate for an NHA in Hawai\u02bbi given its truly unique cultural, historic and environmental heritage and qualities. I fully expect the required study to confirm that Ka\u2018ena Point holds valuable resources that reflect our country\u2019s heritage and are worthy of conservation and recognition.\n\n\u201cThe State of Hawaii\u2019s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has already created a management plan for the Ka\u2018ena Point Stewardship Area to protect one of the last few remaining and easily accessible wilderness areas on O\u2018ahu,\u201d said Case. \u201cWith a NHA designation, we can unlock federal funds to support existing local plans for Ka\u2018ena Point. The local community will be fully involved in both the study and, in the event of NHA designation, in its stewardship.\n\n\u201cI am grateful for the partnership of Congressman Kahele and Senator Hirono in achieving passage of our measure.\u201d\n\n\u201cKa\u02bbena Point holds a special place for many Native Hawaiians who visit the area for traditional cultural practices & spiritual connection,\u201d said Kahele. \u201cThe potential establishment of Ka\u02bbena Point as a National Heritage Area will ensure the conservation and preservation of the unique cultural, archaeological & ecological features & species found nowhere else in Hawai\u2019i\u201d.\n\nCase and Kahele\u2019s measure focuses on the undeveloped area of Ka\u02bbena Point on the west end of O\u02bbahu from M\u0101kua to Waialua. It is the site of the last intact sand dune ecosystem in Hawai\u02bbi and is said to be named after a sibling of the Hawaiian goddess Pele. Ka\u02bbena Point also includes a leina ka \u2018uhane, an important recognized cultural site that, according to Hawaiian tradition, is where the souls of the deceased leapt into the next plane of existence. Ka\u2018ena is also home to various protected species including the Hawaiian monk seal, Laysan albatross and \u2018\u014dhai flower.\n\nThe study would include the approximately 1,500 acres of both the State of Hawaii\u2019s natural area reserve and the state park already in place at Ka\u2018ena Point.\n\nNHAs are designated to recognize and protect our nation\u2019s unique conservation, recreation, historic, cultural, education and preservation areas. NHAs can receive federal funds to help local communities preserve and manage such resources under federal-state-community partnerships.\n\nThe text of the bill is available here .\n\nVideo of Case speaking in the U.S. House on the day the bill initially passed his Chamber on March 15, 2022, is here .\n\nAttachments: Aerial picture of Ka\u2018ena Point courtesy Congressman Case\n\nOther pictures of Ka\u2018ena Point courtesy Lindsay Young\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1019"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8297991007566452, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}