Bill Text: HI SCR68 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Galbraith Estate; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Agricultural Land

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-04-18 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Fukumoto Chang, Har, Oshiro, Souki, Ward excused (5). [SCR68 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2016-SCR68-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	68
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR ITS FIVE HUNDRED Eleven ACRES OF THE FORMER GALBRAITH ESTATE.

 

 

     WHEREAS, in 2012, the State purchased over seventeen hundred acres of agricultural land from the Galbraith Estate through a coordinated effort between the State, City and County of Honolulu, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, United States Army, and D.R. Horton; and

 

     WHEREAS, $25,000,000 went into the acquisition of the former Galbraith Estate; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Agribusiness Development Corporation received twelve hundred acres and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs received five hundred eleven acres of agricultural land; and

 

     WHEREAS, since the acquisition, the Agribusiness Development Corporation has dedicated its twelve hundred acres to the Whitmore Project, which is a detailed plan to revitalize Hawaii's local agriculture industry; and

 

     WHEREAS, tenants who were selected and awarded leases to farm on the Whitmore Project lands have cleared and prepared the land for planting; and

 

     WHEREAS, placing more farmers on state land increases local food production which is critical to self-sufficiency and food security; and

 

     WHEREAS, the administration recognizes the importance of self-sufficiency and has shown its commitment to the Whitmore Project by continuing to invest and acquire agricultural lands and facilities; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' land, which could be used for agricultural production, remains unused and fallow; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has listed on its website the land acquisition objective of exploring the development of compatible agricultural uses and other programmatic initiatives; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has also listed on its website the land acquisition objectives of contributing "to Hawaii's food self-sufficiency, preservation of open space and watershed lands and overall community planning goals for central O‘ahu"; and

 

     WHEREAS, the purpose of Act 31, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, which began as part of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' 2015 legislative package, was to amend the Hawaii State Planning Act by adding "the growth and development of traditional Hawaiian farming systems and traditional Hawaiian crops, as well as the growth and development of small-scale farms, as agricultural objectives of the State";

 

     WHEREAS, Act 31, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, amended section 226-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding the agricultural objectives of "perpetuat[ing], promot[ing], and increas[ing] use of traditional Hawaiian farming systems, such as the use of loko i‘a, māla, and irrigated lo‘i, and growth of traditional Hawaiian crops, such as kalo, ‘uala, and ‘ulu"; and "increas[ing] and develop[ing] small-scale farms"; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is urged to develop a plan for its five hundred eleven acres of the former Galbraith Estate for the purposes and objectives that the Office promoted in Act 31, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the plan include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' objectives and goals of contributing to Hawaii's food self-sufficiency, and creating a sustainable and efficient model for agriculture in the State of Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs provide a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Galbraith Estate; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Agricultural Land