Okinawan village hosting US base adopts ordinance to save endangered birds

Japan Press Weekly

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Okinawan village hosting US base adopts ordinance to save endangered birds

Okinawa's Higashi Village Assembly on June 17 unanimously adopted an ordinance to protect the Okinawa woodpecker, an endangered species inhabiting a forest where a U.S. military training field is located.

The Okinawa woodpecker is a special national treasure found only in the broad-leaved evergreen forests in northern Okinawa. It is designated by the Environment Ministry as an endangered species at extremely high risk of extinction.

The adopted ordinance sets a protected area for the birds and prohibits entry into the district without permission or other actions in the area that could disturb the inhabitants. It will levy a fine of up to 300,000 yen for violations and assign observers to patrol the district.

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to construct six new helipads in its Northern Training Area. While the construction work has been suspended from April until June, during the breeding season for the Okinawa woodpecker, the Japanese Defense Ministry is moving to resume construction operations in July.

Local people have continued a sit-in protest against the construction of the U.S. military facilities for three years.

The Assembly of Higashi's neighboring Ogimi Village on June 10 adopted a resolution calling for a halt to the helipads construction on the grounds that it will further increase the noise caused by military aircraft and the risk of their crash in the precious habitats of the Okinawa woodpecker and the Okinawa rail, another endangered bird species.

- Akahata, June 18, 2010