The Legislature and the administration are to be commended for responding to citizens' input on key measures that protect natural resources for the benefit of Hawai'i's public. There will always be more that we should collectively do to provide for sustainability. Given the Islands' finite resources and increasing development pressures, our elected leaders took courageous (and in some instances bipartisan) steps to ensure a sensible future.

For example, efforts to dismantle the state Land Use Law were defeated; funding was approved to permanently protect Waimea Valley as a park for the public; public land at Kaka'ako was protected; resolutions calling for the protection of Kawela and Turtle Bay were passed; and a bill that could have invited undue special-interest influence in local elections was defeated.

Legislators also passed bills that would include 2-liter bottles in the container-deposit program and prohibit mobile billboards.

More aggressive attempts to update Hawai'i's energy strategy appear to have stalled until next session. On the upside, energy bills that passed include an increase in the residential solar tax credit from $1,750 to $5,000 for photovoltaic systems, and direction to the Public Utilities Commission to examine establishing a third-party "energy efficiency utility."

Next year, the state can build on this momentum by taking decisive action toward renewable energy, further protecting farmland and agricultural land from "fake farm" luxury residential development; and increasing public confidence through voter-owned (publicly financed) elections.

With a coordinated community voice calling for sound natural-resource policy, elected officials should continue to have the courage to respond positively to this broadly shared public sentiment.

The public is watching closely.

In particular, people are watching to see how our leaders will balance the public interest with influences from embedded industry "interns" and other powerful special interests.

In fact, voter-owned elections may be the most decisive step the Legislature could take toward permanently strengthening the ability of Hawai'i citizens to ensure their shared environmental values are reflected in government decision-making.

At the very least, protecting the environment should be at the cornerstone of every elected official's legislative agenda. Thankfully, most leaders now realize that most residents understand that protecting natural resources is an essential strategy for keeping Hawai'i prosperous, healthy, safe and secure.