Maui County Resolution
No. 01-86

OPPOSING THE NAVY'S PROPOSED
"SURTASS LFA" SONAR PROGRAM


        WHEREAS,  the United States Navy is requesting an exemption from 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in order to facilitate its proposed 
Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency Active (LFA) 
sonar program; and

        WHEREAS,  the Navy describes the proposed SURTASS LFA sonar program
as a worldwide "anti-submarine sensor system"; and

        WHEREAS,  the proposed SURTASS LFA sonar program would include the
broadcast of booming, high-decibel, low-frequency noises throughout the world's 
oceans; and

        WHEREAS,  the requested MMPA exemption would permit an indefinite
number of marine-mammal casualties by the Navy; and

        WHEREAS,  the protection of whales and other marine mammals is of
great concern in the County of Maui, which is home to the Hawaiian Islands 
Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary; and

        WHEREAS,  the protection and preservation of the ocean and the marine 
mammals that inhabit the ocean are of great cultural and historical significance 
in Maui County; and

        WHEREAS,  Maui County's humpback whales, which may live longer than
100 years, are living cultural resources; and

        WHEREAS,  the scientific and environmental communities are virtually
unanimous in their opposition to the SURTASS LFA sonar program because of its 
questionable national-security benefits and the hazards it presents to marine 
mammals; and

        WHEREAS,  the Natural Resources Defense Council contends that the
program would "introduce into the world's oceans noise billions of times more 
intense than that known to disturb large whales"; and

        WHEREAS,  whales and dolphins are known to be particularly sensative
to loud noises and other sound disruptions, and such sounds may also
be harmful to humans who swim in the ocean; and

        WHEREAS,  the protection of marine mammals in Hawaiian waters is not
just an ecological, biological, or cultural concern, but also a matter of economic 
necessity for the County of Maui because the clean and healthy ocean environment 
is the engine that drives Maui's visitor-driven economy; and

        WHEREAS, last year the Council unanimously rejected a Navy request for an 
easement to use County property in relation to SURTASS LFA sonar program, noting 
serious concerns about the program's impact on humpback whales and other marine 
mammals (Committee of the Whole Committee Report No. 00-61); and

        WHEREAS, the National Marine Fisheries Service is currently accepting 
comments on the proposed SURTASS LFA sonar program; and

        WHEREAS, the Council intends for this resolution to express its opposition 
to the proposed SURTASS LFA sonar program; now, therefore,

        BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the County of Maui:

        1.      That it hereby opposes the United States Navy's proposed
Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low FrequencyActive (LFA)
sonar program, which is the subject of an application pending before the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, unless and until scientific evidence conclusively 
establishes that no harmful effects will result from the program; and
        
        2.      That it hereby requests that the National Marine Fisheries Service 
conduct hearings on the islands of Lana`i, Maui, and Moloka`i on the United States 
Navy's proposed Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low 
Frequency Active (LFA) sonar program; and

        3.      That certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the National 
Marine Fisheries Service; Honorable James "Kimo" Apana, Mayor, County of Maui; 
Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano, Governor, State of Hawai`i; Members of Hawai`i's 
Congressional Delegation; and the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.