{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=803", "U.S. House Approves Case Bill To Advance Designation of Ka\u2018ena Point As National Heritage Area", "2022-03-17", "2022", "2022-03", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Ed Case", "C001055", "case.house.gov", "case", "https://case.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=21", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) \u2013 Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed his bill, co-introduced by Congressman Kaiali\u2019i Kahele (HI-02) to advance possible designation of Ka\u2018ena Point on Oahu\u2019s westernmost tip as Hawaii\u2019s first Natural Heritage Area (NHA).\n\nNHAs are designated to recognize and protect our nation\u2019s unique conservation, recreation, historic, cultural, education and preservation areas.\n\nNHAs can receive federal funds to help local communities preserve and manage such resources under federal-state-community partnerships. There are currently 55 designated NHAs in 34 states, but none in Hawai\u2019i.\n\n\u201cKa\u02bbena Point, largely state-owned, is the perfect candidate for a National Heritage Area in Hawai\u02bbi given its truly unique cultural, historic and environmental heritage and qualities,\u201d said Case.\n\n\u201cOur bill 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 an NHA. The three-year study would confirm whether Ka\u2018ena Point holds valuable resources that reflect our country\u2019s heritage and are worthy of conservation and recognition. I am certain it will, with a future designation for Ka\u2018ena Point offering critical support to the local community in Hawai\u2018i to conserve the area for present and future use.\u201d\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. With a NHA designation, we can unlock federal funds to support existing local plans for Ka\u2018ena Point,\u201d said Case.\n\nCase\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 ohai flower.\n\nNHAs offer federal assistance of joint efforts to manage NHAs for specific protections and uses appropriate approaches unique to each site. Case emphasized that any studies for Ka\u02bbena Point would fully involve all engaged communities in charting the overall plan for protection and use of these unique parts of the rich heritage of our country. The 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\nThe text of the bill is available here\n\nVideo of Case speaking on the bill in the full House is here.\n\nAttachments: pictures of Ka\u2018ena Point courtesy Lindsay Young\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:06:17Z"]], "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=803"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8443580009043217, "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"}