THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	55
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ADOPT ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS FOR ALLOWING TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN FARMING SYSTEMS ON CONSERVATION LANDS.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, Act 31, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, encouraged the growth and development of traditional Hawaiian farming systems and traditional native Hawaiian crops, as well as small‑scale farms, to meet the agricultural objectives of the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the rights of native Hawaiians to the preservation of resources and traditional and customary rights are firmly established in articles XI and XII of the Hawaii State Constitution, as well as other state laws and judicial decisions; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's traditional farming systems, such as loko i‘a (fishponds), māla (cultivated gardens), and lo‘i (irrigated patches) were considered innovative agricultural technologies that once sustained a thriving and robust island community; and

 

     WHEREAS, traditional Hawaiian farming systems play a critical role in Hawaii and should be revitalized and encouraged to promote greater self-sufficiency, crop diversity, and food security; and

 

     WHEREAS, traditional farming techniques and native Hawaiian culture play a vital role in preserving and advancing the quality of life and cultural vitality of Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, traditional Hawaiian crops like kalo, ‘uala (sweet potato), limu (various seaweeds), ‘awa (kava), hō‘i‘o (large native fern), and ‘olena (turmeric) that were cultivated using these traditional Hawaiian farming techniques continue to be important agricultural products for food, medicine, and cultural practices today; and

 

     WHEREAS, supporting traditional Hawaiian farming systems is critical towards helping the State achieve its ambitious goals relating to food security and increasing domestic production of a local food supply; and

 

     WHEREAS, streamlining the permitting process for loko i‘a, traditional fishponds, has had a significant beneficial impact throughout the islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, petitioners who seek to use conservation lands with the intention of agricultural or aquacultural farming should either know, be a generational and traditional kupa‘āina (person of the place) of the parcel they are seeking, or consult with the native people of that specific ahupua‘a, as much as possible, to ensure that their crop is compatible with the ecosystem of that place; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has an affirmative obligation to ensure that its regulatory actions do not adversely impact the constitutionally protected rights of native Hawaiians; 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 Department of Land and Natural Resources is urged to adopt administrative rules under chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to streamline the process for allowing traditional Hawaiian farming systems on conservation lands; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Attorney General, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Chairperson of the Environmental Council.

Report Title: 

Department of Land and Natural Resources; Traditional Hawaiian Farming