WHEREAS, Hawaii imports approximately 90 percent of its food; and

WHEREAS, it is critical that Hawaii raise its level of self-sufficiency in food; and

WHEREAS, plantation agriculture in crops such as sugarcane and pineapple formerly served as one of the traditional pillars of Hawaii's economy; and

WHEREAS, diversified agriculture--with products ranging from vegetables to fruits to coffee--has been widely-recognized as a viable and increasingly significant component of the state's economy today; and

WHEREAS, farmers throughout the state often face difficulty in obtaining land for their agricultural operations; and

WHEREAS, farmers also encounter problems in financing their agricultural operations because of the reluctance of lending institutions to collateralize a loan against a lease on a parcel of land that has not been legally subdivided; and

WHEREAS, landowners should instead be encouraged to grant long-term leases to farmers to use for agricultural production; and

WHEREAS, the counties have costly and time-consuming subdivision processes, including infrastructure requirements, that discourage landowners from legally subdividing a parcel of land that can be leased for agricultural purposes; and

WHEREAS, increased agricultural activity benefits not only farmers and businesses but also the people of the state as a whole; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that each county is requested to amend its subdivision ordinance to permit waivers of compliance with the subdivision ordinance when long-term leases are entered into for agricultural production purposes in order to facilitate the use of land for agricultural purposes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the counties are requested to expedite the amendment of their subdivision ordinances; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; and Mayor and City Council of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawaii, County of Maui, and County of Kauai.

Report Title:

Requesting counties to amend their subdivision ordinances