Protect our forests to protect our water supply

Over a century ago, Hawaii’s leaders made a wise choice. In those days, drying streams and declining water sources were threatening the islands’ prosperity and sustainability. To solve the grave water problem, leaders turned their gaze upwards — to the mauka forests that clothe our mountains.

Guided by the ancient Hawaiian proverb, "Hahai no ka ua i ka ululā ‘au" (the rain follows the forest), King David Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani established ambitious forest protection programs to replenish groundwater, because they understood the practical and cultural significance of wai (water).

They knew that our mauka forests absorb large quantities of moisture from passing clouds and rainfall, and that deforestation from introduced hooved animals was damaging the islands limited water supplies.

As the 20th century progressed, however, appreciation of this basic wisdom dwindled, and so did funding to protect the forests. The ground gained by these successful early forest programs was lost, and more than half of Hawaii’s original forest disappeared.

Now, the remaining forests continue to be threatened by exploding populations of invasive species. Rainfall has also been declining over the century, at an accelerating pace.

While climate change is a problem on a global scale, there are simple local actions to safeguard Hawaii’s declining water sources. Providing jobs to remove invasive species, re-plant trees, control wildfires — these are basic, cost-effective ways to retain the forests that absorb rainwater for human use.

Now, our public leaders need to make another wise choice. The Legislature is reviewing a $5 million allocation proposed by Gov. Neil Abercrom- bie to dramatically increase on-the-ground protection of these irreplaceable forests. The governor’s funding request would jump-start a bold initiative to protect Hawaii’s watershed forests.

The Legislature is also hearing bills, introduced by Sen. Mike Gabbard and Rep. Denny Coffman, that would provide long-term funding for forest protection with a 10-cent fee on single-use bags, reducing the bags’ damaging effects on Hawaii’s environment.

The time has come to stop taking our water supply for granted.

Gov. Abercrombie has said, "We are the stewards of paradise, and I’m confident that if we move forward together on this initiative, we will succeed in meeting our obligations and responsibility."

Clearly, investing in the protection of fresh water sources must be the highest priority for Hawaii’s public leaders.

We must reverse the enormous economic costs that result from forest losses. We must ensure the affordability and availability of fresh water on these islands. We must turn again to the time-tested truth that the forest relies on us, and we rely on the forest.