COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
The state Land Department unveiled yesterday new vehicle license plates developed by its Division of Forestry and Wildlife to support native and endangered species programs.
|
|
License plates champion species
The Land Department develops car tags to boost the endangered
Individuals can help support the state's efforts to restore and protect Hawaii's threatened and endangered species by purchasing new specialty license plates developed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
The plates, which feature an emblem of an iiwi (Hawaiian honeycreeper), ohia lehua blossoms and the phrase "Protect our Native Species," are now available at all county motor vehicle licensing locations statewide.
Each license plate costs $30.50, which includes a replacement fee and registration emblem replacement fee. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife will receive $20 from each plate sold.
Annual vehicle registration renewal will cost an additional $25 for the license plate on top of the basic renewal cost; $20 of the renewal cost will again go to the Forestry Division, officials said in a news release.
Proceeds will go toward projects that will help restore habitats and species, said Paul Conry, administrator of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, yesterday at a news briefing. Funds can also be used to match grants for federal or private agencies that are interested in making a contribution to the forestry division.
One of the primary points made in a state wildlife action plan that was completed a few years ago was to find a way to generate additional funds to support the need of protecting and restoring threatened species. "This is one good step that we can take in doing that," Conry said.
The Forestry Division manages more than 330 endangered species across the state. Ronald Walker, former Division of Forestry and Wildlife administrator, designed the emblem.
A registered vehicle owner must surrender his existing license plates and bring a current certificate of registration and vehicle inspection certificate to the county motor vehicle agency. An application for the replacement license plate also needs to be completed.
For more information, individuals can call their area county motor vehicle registration agency: Oahu at 532-4325, Kauai at 241-6577, Maui at 270-7363, East Hawaii at 961-8351 and West Hawaii at 327-3543.