Bill Text: HI SCR246 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting That A Working Group Be Convened To Develop Recommendations For Implementing The Revitalizing Economy And Agriculture Leadership Initiative.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-21 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06-21-21. [SCR246 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-SCR246-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
246 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING that A WORKING GROUP be convened TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS for IMPLEMENTing THE REVITALIZING ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE.
WHEREAS, for Hawaii to achieve food and energy security, timely and catalytic actions must be taken to establish solid aina-connected foundations and provide viable pathways for growers to succeed in expanding markets; and
WHEREAS, catalytic actions are coordinated efforts, conducted according to the following principles:
(1) Farming needs to be profitable;
(2) Farming needs to be practical and a vital component of economic and environmental recovery; and
(3) Farming needs to be a priority in order to achieve food and energy security; and
WHEREAS, restorative agriculture increases local food production by one hundred per cent, sustainably diversifies the economy, and culturally and environmentally connects to the people and eco-system of Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, the Revitalizing Economy and Agriculture Leadership (REAL) initiative is a multi-phased, catalytic change initiative that empowers Hawaii farmers to become self‑sustaining, for-profit businesses with local, nutritional grass feedstock production and direct access to local and export off‑taker markets; and
WHEREAS, this multi-phased, transformative initiative creates entrepreneurial businesses with industry partners; provides market connections to attract capital assets to Hawaii; facilitates access to a sustainable food supply and feedstock for ranching; promotes clean energy, restorative and precision agriculture, and environmental conservation; and provides jobs for skilled agricultural technology workers; and
WHEREAS, the REAL initiative is currently underway and its proponents are taking necessary actions with community and industry partners to stabilize Hawaii's small farming businesses impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; and
WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for the completion of the initiative, and the intended timeline for the initiative is as follows:
(1) Immediate efforts, to be completed in a six-month period, would concentrate on: jump-starting Hawaii's agricultural economy through cost-effective, restorative agriculture; stabilizing Hawaii agriculture by connecting farming and ranching; and keeping revenue flowing inside, rather than outside, Hawaii;
(2) The next phase of efforts, to be completed over a three-month period, would: coordinate farmers and ranchers to revitalize fallow and unproductive agricultural and pastoral lands; facilitate local production of grass-fed beef; facilitate the export of products; increase production capacity; secure proper equipment; and make connections that are necessary to obtain expert advice from researchers, marketers, and water and conservation experts; and
(3) The last phase of efforts, to be completed over a six‑month period, would: replicate restorative agriculture in farming and ranching communities and groups across the State; provide technical assistance in building communities of practice; and provide workforce training in agricultural technology, sciences, marketing, and brand thought leadership; and
WHEREAS, the timing and urgency of the initiative requires immediate attention, action, and collaboration from governmental regulatory agencies, landowners, and industry participants, so that the initiative may;
(1) Singularly or collectively obtain from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the University of Hawaii a fifty-year lease on certain land for purposes of production infrastructure expansion, including an equipment maintenance center, training hub, and grass feedstock processing center;
(2) Establish a grow hub structure and operations,
which would include a learning center from which homestead farming and ranching
businesses would receive technical assistance and essential wrap-around service
support for marketing, branding, fiscal management and operational support from
federal agencies (including the United States Small Business Administration); state
agencies (including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Department of Agriculture;
Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Business, Economic Development,
and Tourism; Agribusiness Development Corporation; and College of Tropical
Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa); non-profit
organizations (including the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center and Sovereign Council
of Hawaiian Homestead Associations); Kamehameha Schools; and energy, food, and restaurant
industry organizations;
(3) Establish farmer and rancher grow hub resources to increase access to local soil and water testing resources, nutritional trials, researchers, and entities that are necessary to meet industry timelines for soil and water resource management and validation and promotion of Hawaii-sourced products (including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of Agriculture, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Hawaii Agriculture Research Center); and
(4) Coordinate and access assistance from state agencies to support the successful implementation and diversification of state economic development into restorative agriculture and the eco-system management of land, water, and the environment; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, or the Chairperson's designee, is requested to convene and serve as the chair of a Revitalizing Economy and Agriculture Leadership Working Group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following individuals are requested to serve as members of the Revitalizing Economy and Agriculture Leadership Working Group:
(1) The Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration, or the Administrator's designee;
(2) The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chairperson's designee;
(3) The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, or the Chairperson's designee;
(4) The Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, or the Director's designee;
(5) The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation, or the Chairperson's designee;
(6) The Dean and Director for Research and Cooperative Extension at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, or the Dean and Director's designee;
(7) The Mayor of each of the the several counties, or their respective designees; provided that if any Mayor declines to be a member of the working group and declines to appoint a designee to the working group, the Chairperson of the respective County Council or the Chairperson's designee is requested to serve on the working group;
(8) The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, or the Chairperson's designee;
(9) The President of the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, or the President's Designee;
(10) The Chairperson of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, or the Chairperson's designee;
(11) Representatives of energy, food, and restaurant industry organizations invited by the chair of the working group; and
(12) Other stakeholders who may be invited by the chair of the working group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Revitalizing Economy and Agriculture Leadership Working Group is requested to consider and develop recommendations regarding the implementation of the Revitalizing Economy and Agriculture Leadership initiative; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit its recommendations and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be dissolved on June 30, 2022; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation; Dean and Director for Research and Cooperative Extension at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Mayor of the County of Maui; Mayor of the County of Hawaii; Mayor of the County of Kauai; Chairperson of the Honolulu City Council; Chairperson of the Maui County Council; Chairperson of the Hawaii County Council; Chairperson of the Kauai County Council; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate; President of the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; and Chairperson of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations.
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OFFERED BY: |
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DHHL; Agriculture; Land; Farming; Food; Energy; Working Group
