Our water future needs a loea on the Water Commission!

Hawaiʻi’s water resources are vital to sustaining life as we know it in our islands. The Water Commission has the critical task of upholding Hawaiʻi water laws, and protecting and managing our precious wai for present and future generations. With the increasing impacts of the climate crisis, and after generations of corporate monopolization and military contamination, proper water management—prioritizing time-tested, culturally-grounded water management practices and the needs of present and future generations—is more important than ever.

One of the seven seats on the Water Commission is reserved for an individual with substantial experience or expertise in traditional Hawaiian water resource management. This loea, or highly skilled practitioner, seat is vital to ensuring the Commission upholds Hawaiian rights under the Water Code and public trust, and has a critical cultural perspective of the vital importance of wai - to our community; culture; food security, ʻāina including our watersheds, aquifers, estuaries and reefs; and our future generations. Currently, this seat is vacant, having been formerly filled by Neil Hannahs, whose term ended in June 2024.

In anticipation of Commissioner Hannahs’ term ending, a nomination committee was formed, which provided Governor Green with a list of qualified nominees back in February 2024. Instead of proceeding with one of these nominees, three of which we know have strong experience in traditional Hawaiian resource management, the governor sat on the list for five months. Despite widespread calls urging him to make a selection, he is now seeking to restart the nominations process from the beginning without explanation or legal authority to do so.

Hawaiʻi's waters continue to be impacted by a long legacy of corporate monopolization and military contamination. In the last few years, we have seen devastation to Hawaiʻi’s wai and ʻāina as a result of the mismanagement and neglect of our water resources, and the public trust, including the tragic Maui fires and the poisoning of 93,000 people by the Red Hill fuel facility. The loea seat is absolutely critical to healing these harms and ensuring that our precious wai is no longer treated as an expendable commodity, but as a public trust to be protected, stewarded, and conserved, not just for ourselves, but for generations yet unborn.

Join us, and many others, in urging Governor Green to fill the loea seat quickly, with a qualified individual with true experience or expertise in Native Hawaiian water management. Proper water management now is crucial to securing a resilient water future for generations to come. Ola i ka wai!

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For too long, the management of Hawaii’s water resources has been to the benefit of corporations and private and military interests over sustainable and public uses. The recent wildfires in Lahaina, exacerbated by decades of poor water management, have demonstrated how mismanagement of water resources can lead to devastating consequences. When water is diverted away from communities and aina in need, to serve the narrow interests of the powerful, it is the people—those of us who call and love these islands as our home—who bear the brunt of these decisions. This is not just an environmental and climate resilience issue; it is a matter of fairness, justice, and the very survival of our way of life.

The vacancy on the Water Commission, which is specifically designated for an expert in time-tested Native Hawaiian water management, has left our communities without a critical voice at a time when it is needed the most. I understand that at least three highly qualified individuals were nominated for this position in February of this year, yet no appointment was made. The recent decision to restart the nomination process only delays the protection our communities and our islands so urgently need.

I respectfully and strongly urge you to take the following actions:

-Reconsider the decision to restart the nomination process and select one of the remaining, highly qualified applicants who were presented to you by the nominating committee earlier this year.
-If restarting the nomination process is unavoidable, please ensure that the new nominating committee includes members who are deeply knowledgeable about Native Hawaiian water rights and connected to the communities that are most impacted by water management decisions. 
-In any case, I strongly recommend that the nominating committee also solicit input from community leaders and experts in water policy and the history of water mismanagement, to ensure their decision-making is well-informed.

Governor Green, the future of our islands depends on the just and equitable management of our water resources. Delays in appointing a commissioner who can help heal the harms of  water mismanagement and the abdication of the public trust in wai threaten not only our aina and people, but the future of Hawaii itself.

Mahalo nui loa for your attention to this important matter. I trust that you will prioritize the well-being of Hawaii’s people and environment in your decision-making process to fill this critical role.

I am writing to express my deep sense of urgency regarding the ongoing vacancy for the Native Hawaiian water management expert seat on the Commission for Water Resource Management. The decisions made by the Water Commission profoundly impact not only our water security but also the environmental health, cultural integrity, food security, and very future for all of us who call these islands home. It is essential that this seat is filled by a qualified individual without further delay, as the consequences of inaction are far too great. For too long, the management of Hawaii’s water resources has been to the benefit of corporations and private and military interests over sustainable and public uses. The recent wildfires in Lahaina, exacerbated by decades of poor water management, have demonstrated how mismanagement of water resources can lead to devastating consequences. When water is diverted away from communities and aina in need, to serve the narrow interests of the powerful, it is the people—those of us who call and love these islands as our home—who bear the brunt of these decisions. This is not just an environmental and climate resilience issue; it is a matter of fairness, justice, and the very survival of our way of life. The vacancy on the Water Commission, which is specifically designated for an expert in time-tested Native Hawaiian water management, has left our communities without a critical voice at a time when it is needed the most. I understand that at least three highly qualified individuals were nominated for this position in February of this year, yet no appointment was made. The recent decision to restart the nomination process only delays the protection our communities and our islands so urgently need. I respectfully and strongly urge you to take the following actions: -Reconsider the decision to restart the nomination process and select one of the remaining, highly qualified applicants who were presented to you by the nominating committee earlier this year. -If restarting the nomination process is unavoidable, please ensure that the new nominating committee includes members who are deeply knowledgeable about Native Hawaiian water rights and connected to the communities that are most impacted by water management decisions. -In any case, I strongly recommend that the nominating committee also solicit input from community leaders and experts in water policy and the history of water mismanagement, to ensure their decision-making is well-informed. Governor Green, the future of our islands depends on the just and equitable management of our water resources. Delays in appointing a commissioner who can help heal the harms of water mismanagement and the abdication of the public trust in wai threaten not only our aina and people, but the future of Hawaii itself. Mahalo nui loa for your attention to this important matter. I trust that you will prioritize the well-being of Hawaii’s people and environment in your decision-making process to fill this critical role.

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