Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act

Floor Speech

I rise in support of the Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act, introduced by my colleague from Hawaii, Representative Tokuda.

This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to determine the suitability of designating Lahaina, in Maui County, Hawaii, as a national heritage area.

It is the historical capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii and a significant area for Native Hawaiians' history and culture. Today, it still serves as a significant site for Native Hawaiians but also is a vital economic and touristic hub for the island of Maui.

However, in August of 2023, Maui experienced a series of deadly wildfires that took over 100 lives, destroyed thousands of buildings and historic cultural landmarks, and displaced thousands of people. More than a year later, recovery efforts are still underway and are expected to exceed tens of billions of dollars.

Mr. Speaker, designating this national heritage area would help preserve Lahaina's rich cultural heritage and support recovery efforts by unlocking Federal funding to rehabilitate important sites and establish exhibits, programming, and other public awareness initiatives.

I would like to thank the majority for working with us on this bill. It is an important link to the past as the community of Lahaina rebuilds and ensures their heritage lives on.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. DINGELL. Tokuda).

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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

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