`Overreach’
By ddepledge
Former Gov. Linda Lingle has urged the federal government to postpone making the main Hawaiian Islands critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal until the economic and social consequences are studied.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed expanding critical habitat to protect the endangered monk seal.
From Lingle:
A recent proposal by the Federal Government to make 4,787 square miles of land and water in Hawaii a federal critical habitat is another example of government over-reach and insensitivity to the concerns of the people of this State.
I am calling upon the federal Department of the Interior to postpone this action until such time as the economic and social consequences to the people of Hawaii are fully understood and addressed.
While I support efforts to protect and preserve endangered species, such as the Hawaiian Monk Seal, these efforts should be carried out with a sensitivity to the people and activities they impact. And they should be based on extensive public input and solid economic and scientific data.
Political Radar
November 29th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Isn’t it just a proposal? Doesn’t there have to be a proposal to initiate the process of gathering “extensive public input and solid scientific and economic data”? Isn’t calling the proposal an example of government overreach itself an example of political overreach? Or is that just what we call “grandstanding” by Linda Lingle in her paper, the Lingle-Time-Warner-Star-Advertiser?
November 30th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Too bad she didn’t think this way when the SuperFerry was being developed. If she had, we’d be enjoying the benefits of low-cost inter-island travel today. One more example of what a phony Lingle is.
November 30th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
This is overreach by Lingle, who is nothing but a FORMER governor now trying to cash in on a retiring Akaka. How’s the SuperFerry going Linda?
November 30th, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Lingle was the state governor and doesn’t know that NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce, NOT the Department of the Interior? She refers to NOAA as DOI twice in her statement. Yikes. And yes, it IS a proposal – something that NOAA is doing because they were sued to and the data supports it. Even NOAA says straight up that designation of critical habitat isn’t going to recover the species. Critical habitat just limits the amount of destruction federal agencies and the things they permit or fund can do. That’s bad? She’s making it sound like critical habitat is going to ruin everything – most of the coast of the mainland is critical habitat for some species or another. I still see ships traveling, people fishing, and energy projects happening there. Those companies just have to be a little more responsible about it. She’s making a fuss because she sees other people making a fuss and thinks it might help get her credit with some people.
December 1st, 2011 at 12:19 am
The letter was mailed correctly to NOAA at the Department of Commerce, and the statement should have accurately reflected that NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce.
December 1st, 2011 at 1:11 am
The way some posters are hyperventilating over this error makes me wonder if they’ve ever made a mistake or a misstatement in their entire lives. The campaign already said they MAILED the letter to NOAA at the Dept. of Commerce.
Frankly, I don’t see why there’s all this outrage over her letter — she’s just calling on the feds to POSTPONE any action until they can address the economic and social ramifications of this move. This proposal would make a habitat that’s equal to almost 75% of the state, and she’s urging caution due to potential consequences. And that’s a bad thing why?
Seems like she’s putting the people of Hawaii first. Works for me.
December 1st, 2011 at 1:18 pm
lingle’s voice is just an opinion. she has short arms. lingle is not for Hawaii.