Report Title:

State Parks Master Plan

WHEREAS, the State's parks showcase Hawaii's finest natural, cultural, and scenic resources for residents and visitors alike, while protecting and preserving these resources; and

WHEREAS, the state park system is a major part of the allure of Hawaii for tourists, thereby making it a significant part of the State's overall economic development; and

WHEREAS, to only speak of the beauty of the statewide park system, the wilderness trails, and ecological protection is to ignore the economic benefit that these areas bring to the islands; and

WHEREAS, the Senate recognizes this benefit and wisely places the Parks Administration legislation under the purview of the Senate Economic Development & Technology committee; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is responsible for the day-to-day operations of State parks; and

WHEREAS, while within their budget constraints the Department does an adequate job, however there is a need to develop a comprehensive master plan for the State park system that includes a strategic review, functional analysis, a physical analysis, and plan documentation; and

WHEREAS, to undertake the development of a State parks master plan with proper guidance and supervision from outside sources experienced and knowledgeable in natural, historic, and recreational park preservation and planning would serve the public interest respecting public lands held under the Public Trust; and

WHEREAS, Irwin Memorial Park is also a State urban park and street-level open space held in trust by the State of Hawaii as the gateway to the Honolulu waterfront and the historic landscaped companion to Aloha Tower; and

WHEREAS, Irwin Memorial Park is a dedicated park and a gift to the people of Honolulu made possible by Helene Irwin Fagan in memory of her William G. Irwin, a noted businessman and philanthropist; and

WHEREAS, this gift and dedicated memorial park is recorded, in the Deed of 1930 and supplemental agreement by and between the Territory of Hawaii and Helene Irwin Fagan, subject to the reservations and conditions set forth by Helene Irwin Fagan when she donated this land to the Territory of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Deed of 1930 and supplemental agreement between the Territory of Hawaii and Helene Irwin Fagan expressly state that Irwin Memorial Park shall always be maintained as a memorial and public park, or the land shall revert back to the donor or her heirs, and this remains unchanged in the records of the Bureau of Conveyances to this day; and

WHEREAS, Irwin Memorial Park has been further protected as a public park by Governor's Executive Order No. 472 and Hawaii Revised Statutes, Section 206J-6(c), and as a historic site on the State Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, Irwin Memorial Park should therefore be included in the State parks master plan to be restored in use to an inviting street-level public gathering place for the people of Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, a comprehensive master plan for the State's parks will guide the Department of Land and Natural Resources in planning the future of a state system of parks, including consideration of potential historic and nature reserve parks like those proposed for the Honomalino to mauka region on the Island of Hawaii, and help improve the recreational opportunities they provide; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that under the guidance of the Chair of the Senate Economic Development and Technology Committee, the Department of Land and Natural Resources along with various environmental groups and other recreational users is requested to develop a State parks master plan for all state parks, including state beach parks, and to outline the mission and strategic goals, along with a timeline for achieving these goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State parks master plan shall:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all state parks should be part of this master plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department shall submit the first State parks master plan to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technology, and Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.