Friends of Kaneohe Bay

This document is meant to articulate the purpose, types of projects, partnerships and community
connection that Friends of Kaneohe Bay (FKB) has and needs to be successful as a sub-
committee with Hui o Koolaupoko (HOK)

FKB Mission (MISSION STATEMENT IS NEEDED). The mission of the Friends of Kaneohe
Bay is to help the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council carry out the stated responsibilities. However,
the friends of Kaneohe Bay will be a sub committee of Hui O Koolaupoko and will be
independent of the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council. The FKB will work with all organizations
interested in the Bay and will make its recommendation not only to the Kaneohe Bay Regional
Council but independently to any and all organizations that can help implement FKB
recommendations.

The Friends of Kaneohe Bay will work within the mission and under the supervision of the Hui
O Koolaupoko. The FKB are a subcommittee of HOK. The membership of FKB is open to
everyone. Bill Sager has volunteered to facilitate activities of the FKB. We expect teams to
form around specific issues. These teams will be made up of volunteers who are interested in a
specific subject, task or issue. Members will stay with a team as long as the member feels s/he
can contribute to the team effort. Members may work on multiple teams and may shift between
teams as they see fit.

The following are objectives of FKB

(1) Facilitate the implementation of the Kaneohe Bay master plan as it relates to ocean use
activities;
(2) Review and periodically amend the master plan as it relates to ocean use activities;
(3) Serve as a central coordinative clearinghouse of public and private activities in Kaneohe
Bay, and as a repository and disseminator of information on the bay;
(4) Facilitate productive interaction between users of the bay and the general public in order
to develop a common vision and make recommendations for public policy related to the bay;
(5) Recommend research, studies, data collection, and planning activities designed to provide
additional information on Kaneohe Bay, with particular reference to the specific needs of the
bay, and to publicize the results thereof, to the extent that these functions do not duplicate or
supplant activities provided by other state or county agencies;
(6) Advise and make recommendations to the State and the county on matters regarding the
use of Kaneohe Bay by the general public, marine research programs, and commercial ocean use
activities, including legislative matters;
(7) Develop short- and long-term goals based on the master plan, resources, and programs for
Kaneohe Bay;
(8) Educate the public and users of Kaneohe Bay on the problems and needs of the bay
through public education programs;
 (9) Serve as the public advocate for Kaneohe Bay;
(10) Initiate and maintain contact with public, private, county, and state organizations,
agencies, and individuals engaging in activities in Kaneohe Bay;
(11) Establish a Kaneohe Bay fishing panel to monitor fishing activities in the bay, as
recommended in the master plan as it relates to ocean use activities; and
(12) Hold an annual public meeting on the status of the implementation of the master plan as
it relates to ocean use activities and research being conducted by the Hawaii institute of marine
biology. [L 1993, c 317, pt of §2; am L 1998, c 129, §4]

Current issues

There are several issues that the FKB will look at and working in the coming months and years.
Including, but not limited to,

✔ Attempts to regulate aquarium fishing in Kaneohe Bay

✔ Problems related to boats hitting submerged reefs with subsequent damage to both the
boats and to the coral reef.
✔ Sedimentation of navigation channels
✔ Impact of mangrove on the bay
✔ The health of Kaneohe Bay estuaries and the need for fresh water entering the Bay
✔ Minimum stream flows.
✔ Management of Kapapa Island
✔ Fisheries management, impact of habitat deterioration and related fishing
✔ Uses and conflict at Hui O laka
✔ Proposed expansion of Hawaii Memorial Park and all development
✔ Review of the Kaneohe Bay Master Plan

Administration
Bill Sager of FKB will facilitate the formation of teams to address issues that are identified by
either the FKB or KBRC—this will be conducted by community volunteers/interested citizens.
The FKB will be a decentralized form or governance; no single person can assign work to other
members. What projects or issues FKB addresses or chooses adobt will depend on what the
membership feels is important and what they are willing to work on and contribute resources.

One representative of FKB will be presence and report at quarterly HOK Board Meeting as as
office as appropriate. HOK board will provide oversight and will set policy related to FKB.
FKB will not initiate any project without HOK approval. Once a project is approved, the team
leader for the project will be responsible for developing a budget and finding the money needed
to carry out the project. When a major project requires the FKB to look for grants, the team
leader will find a grant writer and when a grant is received it will be deposited to HOK. HOK
will administer and distribute the grant according to the budget developed by the team and
previously approved by the HOK board. No grants or other fund raising will be initiated without
the prior approval of HOK board.