III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 541 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hawaii Volcanoes 

National Park and Haleakala National Park in the State of Hawaii, 

and designating August 1, 2016, as ‘‘Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala 

National Parks Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 14, 2016 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself and Mr. SCHATZ) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the establishment of 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National 

Park in the State of Hawaii, and designating August 

1, 2016, as ‘‘Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala National 

Parks Day’’. 

Whereas the Hawaii National Park was established by section 

1 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to establish a national park 

in the Territory of Hawaii’’, approved August 1, 1916 

(16 U.S.C. 391), consisting of tracts of land on the island of Hawaii and on the island of Maui; 

Whereas the portion of the Hawaii National Park situated on 

the island of Hawaii was renamed Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by Public Law 87–278 (16 U.S.C. 391d); 


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•SRES 541 ATS 

Whereas Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects and interprets the largest and most continuously active shield volcanoes in the United States and provides the best physical evidence of island-building processes, which continue 

to form the 2,000 mile-long Hawaiian archipelago; 

Whereas Hawaii Volcanoes National Park provides access to 

2 of the most active volcanoes in the world and an opportunity to understand and appreciate the distinctive geology and natural and cultural adaptations to the land; 

Whereas, through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the National Park Service protects, restores, and studies unique 

and diverse ecosystems and endemic species that are the 

result of more than 30,000,000 years of evolution in an 

isolated environment characterized by its active volcanic 

landscape and wide climate variations; 

Whereas, in 1978, more than 100,000 acres of the park were 

designated as wilderness, which constitutes the largest 

and most ecologically diverse wilderness in the Pacific Islands, by section 401(6) of the National Parks and 

Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–625; 16 U.S.C. 

1132 note); 

Whereas Hawaii Volcanoes National Park embraces the Native Hawaiian spiritual significance of the landscape and 

interprets related cultural traditions; 

Whereas the park encompasses sites, structures, objects, and 

landscapes that document more than 600 years of human 

life and activities on an active volcanic landscape; 

Whereas the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization designated Hawaii Volcanoes National 

Park as a biosphere reserve in 1980 and as a World Heritage Site on December 10, 1987; 


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•SRES 541 ATS 

Whereas, effective July 1, 1961, Haleakala National Park 

was established by Public Law 86–744 (16 U.S.C. 396b) 

as a separate unit of the National Park System on the 

detached portion of the Hawaii National Park on the island of Maui; 

Whereas Haleakala National Park protects a wild volcanic 

landscape with a wide array of fragile and diverse native 

ecosystems, including plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth; 

Whereas extreme gradients of rainfall and temperature shape 

the remarkable biodiversity of Haleakala National Park, 

which rises approximately 10,000 feet from the sea to the 

summit of the Haleakala shield volcano; 

Whereas Haleakala National Park preserves places, resources, stories, and intangible elements of profound sacred importance to Native Hawaiians; 

Whereas those elements are linked by the piko, the lifeline 

that honors the past and connects the living Hawaiian 

culture of today to future generations; 

Whereas Haleakala National Park is known for its exceptional scenery, including sunrises and sunsets above the 

clouds, coursing waterfalls, clear pools, and crashing 

waves, lush rainforests, and sparkling, star-filled skies; 

Whereas the Haleakala shield volcano, one of the highest 

peaks in the Pacific, is the result of countless volcanic 

eruptions during the past 2,000,000 years and unique 

erosion in action; 

Whereas Public Law 94–567 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note) designated more than 19,000 acres of Haleakala National 

Park as wilderness in 1976, and the United Nations 


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•SRES 541 ATS 

Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization designated the park as a biosphere reserve in 1980; and 

Whereas Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park were the first national park units in a territory of the United States and are 2 of the 8 units of the 

National Park System in the Hawaiian islands: Now, 

therefore be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates and celebrates Hawaii Volca3 noes National Park and Haleakala National Park on 

4 the 100th anniversary of their establishment; 

5 (2) acknowledges the range of natural and cul6 tural wonders that make up the other national parks 

7 and monuments of the State of Hawaii, including— 

8 (A) Honouliuli National Monument; 

9 (B) Kalaupapa National Historical Park; 

10 (C) Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical 

11 Park; 

12 (D) Puuhonua o Honaunau National His13 torical Park; 

14 (E) Puukohola Heiau National Historic 

15 Site; and 

16 (F) World War II Valor in the Pacific Na17 tional Monument; 

18 (3) encourages the people of Hawaii and of the 

19 United States to visit those parks and monuments, 

20 which are national treasures; and 


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•SRES 541 ATS 

1 (4) designates August 1, 2016, as ‘‘Hawaii Vol2 canoes and Haleakala National Parks Day’’. 

Æ 


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