Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-1 – Findings and declaration of necessity
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-1
- Aquatic life: means any type of species of mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, invertebrate, coral, or other animals that inhabit the freshwater or marine environment, and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof, or freshwater or marine plants, including seeds, roots, and other parts thereof. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-2
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Indigenous species: means any aquatic life, wildlife, or land plant species growing or living naturally in Hawaii without having been brought to Hawaii by humans. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-2
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- Species: means and shall include any subspecies or lower taxa of aquatic life, wildlife, or land plants. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-2
- Take: means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect endangered or threatened species of aquatic life or wildlife, or to cut, collect, uproot, destroy, injure, or possess endangered or threatened species of aquatic life or land plants, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-2
- Wildlife: means any nondomesticated member of the animal kingdom, whether reared in captivity or not, including any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof, except aquatic life as defined in this section. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 195D-2
Since the discovery and settlement of the Hawaiian Islands by humans, many species of aquatic life, wildlife, and land plants that occurred naturally only in Hawaii have become extinct and many are threatened with extinction, primarily because of increased human use of the land and disturbance to native ecosystems.
All indigenous species of aquatic life, wildlife, and land plants are integral parts of Hawaii’s native ecosystems and comprise the living heritage of Hawaii, for they represent a natural resource of scientific, cultural, educational, environmental, and economic value to future generations of Hawaii’s people.
To insure the continued perpetuation of indigenous aquatic life, wildlife, and land plants, and their habitats for human enjoyment, for scientific purposes, and as members of ecosystems, it is necessary that the State take positive actions to enhance their prospects for survival.