Conservation Leader Award For Lea Hong
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The 2009 Hawaii Conservation Alliance recognized Wahiawa’s own conservation champion in a surprise award ceremony during its annual conference July 28-30 in Honolulu.
“I can think of a dozen more deserving folks,” said the always-modest Lea Hong, who grew up in Wahiawa and graduated from Leilehua High School.
She received the HCA Outstanding Leadership Award for the advancement of environmental conservation in Hawaii.
Considered a trailblazer for the Islands’ natural resources, both as a litigator and conservationist,“she established herself before it was cool to be green,” said colleague Kapua Sproat at the award ceremony.
“She has relied on her leadership skills, experience and ‘street cred’ to build bridges and conservation partnerships among Native Hawaiians, government agencies, grass-roots community groups and conservation organizations to advance some of Hawaii’s most inspiring land conservation efforts.”
As head of the Trust for Public Land Hawaiian Islands Program, attorney Hong’s list of more-visible collaborations on Oahu alone include PupukeaPaumalu, Waimea Valley, Pupukea-Paumalu, Moanalua Valley and MA’O Organic Farms.
Since TPL began in Hawaii 30 years ago (with Hong at the helm for the past three years), Hong said the trust “has conserved more than 36,000 acres in the state and led successful ballot measure campaigns to establish millions of dollars of public funding for land conservation.”
Hong’s parents, Tany and Naomi Hong of Wahiawa, were present for the award presentation. Tany Hong is a former Hawaii attorney general and district court judge.
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