Hawaii Conservation Alliance

Hawaii Conservation Alliance
Name	Hawaii Conservation Alliance
Type	Nonprofit coalition
Founded	2006
Location	Honolulu, Hawaii
Area served	Hawaiian Islands
Focus	Marine conservation, watershed protection, invasive species, community resilience

Hawaii Conservation Alliance

The Hawaii Conservation Alliance is a coalition-based environmental organization focused on marine and terrestrial conservation across the Hawaiian archipelago. It brings together NGOs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, and community groups to coordinate actions addressing coral reef decline, watershed degradation, and invasive species. The Alliance works within the context of regional initiatives such as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Pacific Islands Forum, and local ahupuaʻa-based stewardship models.

Overview

The Alliance operates as a hub connecting The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and local nonprofits like Kīpuka Olena and Malama Maunalua with federal agencies including United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries. Its scope includes collaboration with academic partners such as Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and Hawaiʻi Pacific University to apply science from projects like the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program to management in places like Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. The Alliance aligns with international frameworks including the Convention on Biological Diversity and regional strategies from the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

History and Formation

Established in 2006, the Alliance formed after meetings involving representatives from Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii), NOAA, and community leaders from ʻāina-based groups responding to declines documented by surveys from NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and the United States Geological Survey. Founding members included conservation organizations working on projects in Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Hana who sought coordination across island-scale efforts tied to initiatives such as the creation of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and revisions to the Hawaii Statewide Conservation Plan. The Alliance evolved alongside policy developments like the Marine Mammal Protection Act implementations in the Pacific and recovery planning for listed species under the Endangered Species Act.

Programs and Initiatives

The Alliance facilitates programs addressing coral reef resilience, watershed restoration, and invasive species response. Its coral work draws on techniques piloted by Coral Reef Targeted Research projects and partners with reef restoration efforts in places like Molokaʻi Hoʻolawa and West Maui. Watershed initiatives coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on sediment control and with community trusts engaged in ʻāina restoration modeled after Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission efforts. Invasive species programs align responses to pests such as Coqui frog and plants targeted by Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council strategies, and coordinate biosecurity protocols used at ports like Honolulu Harbor. The Alliance also convenes science-management workshops with contributors from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-informed adaptation planning and supports community-driven models exemplified by Maunalua Fishpond restoration and Keaukaha stewardship.

Partnerships and Network

The network encompasses federal agencies including NOAA Fisheries, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, state agencies such as Hawaii State Department of Health on water quality, academic institutions like University of Hawaiʻi Foundation-affiliated researchers, and NGOs including Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy in Hawaiʻi, and Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea. It engages traditional practitioners linked to Hawaiian cultural institutions like Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Bishop Museum to integrate ʻike kūpuna knowledge with monitoring methods used by Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory. International collaborations involve Pacific partners in the Micronesia Challenge and regional policy bodies such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

Governance and Funding

The Alliance is governed by a steering committee composed of representatives from partner organizations, modeled on practices used by coalitions such as Coral Triangle Initiative partnerships. Funding sources include grants from foundations like The Pew Charitable Trusts and Packard Foundation, federal cooperative agreements with NOAA, and project funding from state programs administered by Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (Hawaii). Administrative support has been provided through fiscal sponsors among Hawaiʻi-based nonprofits similar to arrangements used by the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance Institute-style entities and leveraging philanthropic contributions from donors active in Pacific conservation.

Impact and Conservation Outcomes

Outcomes attributed to collaborative efforts coordinated by the Alliance include enhanced marine protected area planning in regions adjacent to Papahānaumokuākea, improved water quality metrics in watersheds draining to reefs near Kaneohe Bay and Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, and scaled rapid response protocols for invasive species detection modeled after Early Detection Rapid Response frameworks. The Alliance’s convening role has facilitated data-sharing between scientists at Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and managers at Division of Aquatic Resources (Hawaii), contributing to management actions for species such as the Hawaiian monk seal and Hawaiian green sea turtle. Collaborative projects have supported capacity-building for community groups engaged in traditional stewardship across islands including Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Hawaii Category:Non-profit organizations established in 2006