May 10, 2003

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
United States Senate
722 Hart Building
Washington D.C. 20510-1102

Subject: Lahaina Watershed Project, Requesting PL-566 Funds

Dear Senator Inouye:

I am writing to share with you our community's concerns about the long awaited Lahaina Watershed Project and to ask for your help in persuading President Bush not to cut PL 566 funding. We feel this is the wrong place to cut for the following reasons:

• Lahaina Town is on National Register of Historic Places. It needs to be protected due to a history of seriously damaging floods. The PL566 Funds are necessary to construct the Lahaina Watershed Project, which will divert floodwaters away from Lahaina Town homes and protect this treasured community.
• Our Lahaina Watershed Project is way overdue. For many reasons, it's been over 20 years since we first talked about it. Today we are still working on designs and permits. This could be another 2 to 3 years before we actually start construction. We expect serious problems if we lose this funding.
• PL566 funds have a great track record of public benefit. Here in Hawaii these funds have saved peoples lives and property from flooding. It has improved coastal ocean waters, helped highway safety, support ocean activities and tourism, and benefited our local economy.
• Our PL566 funded projects are locally based; operate as cooperative partnerships between Federal, State, and County government, along with direct input from public citizens.

Please help us to protect our local community, economy and environment by influencing President Bush to keep our PL566 Funds intact. We are asking for assistance from our many mainland visitors to Lahaina to write their congressional delegations as well. Together, we pray that we can make a difference and preserve necessary PL566 Funds to be utilized for our Lahaina Watershed Project.

Thank you for you continued support of Hawaii and its people.

Sincerely,

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