STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1513
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2009
RE: H.R. No. 183
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Fifth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2009
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No. 183 entitled:
"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING HAWAII'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WITHDRAW ITS SUPPORT FOR THE HAWAII CAPITAL NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this resolution is to allow native Hawaiian groups and individuals sufficient input into the designation of certain areas on Oahu as the Hawaii Capital National Heritage Area by requesting the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation to withdraw their support for designation of the area as the Hawaii Capital National Heritage Area (Hawaii Heritage Area).
The Hawaiian Political Action Council of Hawaii, Chinatown Improvement District, and many concerned individuals supported this measure. The Representative of the 27th District, Hawaii Capital Cultural Coalition (Coalition) and its partners, Friends of Iolani Palace, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Arts District Merchants Association, and several concerned individuals opposed this resolution. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) provided comments.
National Heritage Areas are areas designated by Congress, which are planned, implemented, and managed by the community, and eligible for federal funds. Hawaii's congressional delegation has introduced legislation to designate as a Hawaii Heritage Area, an area stretching from the Nuuanu Pali to the ocean, which includes downtown Honolulu and Chinatown, and sites such as the State Capitol, Iolani Palace, and the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna Ala.
Various local businesses, institutions, and individuals participating in the seven-year planning process for this proposed Hawaii Heritage Area have been brought together by the Coalition, a largely volunteer organization whose partners include arts, cultural, and historic organizations, and businesses and government agencies in the proposed Hawaii Heritage Area.
Although the Coalition included various Hawaiian organizations in this planning process, at the hearing of this resolution, the Coalition acknowledged that it had inadvertently failed to consult with Hawaiian homestead groups, who represent residents of the proposed Hawaii Heritage Area, thus failing to take into account the concerns and values of these residents.
Many of these residents now support this resolution to ensure that they are better informed by the Coalition about the proposed designation, and have a voice in the planning process and in any decision to seek designation as a Hawaii Heritage Area by Congress.
Your Committee also recognizes the concerns voiced by DLNR and by the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, which has been an active participant in the planning, that a delay in designation would also delay the receipt of federal funding that could be used to restore and manage, and fund educational and other programs supporting the culturally significant sites in the region.
However, your Committee believes that the residents of these islands, and the native Hawaiian community, in particular, must always be consulted before any decisions affecting the lands in which they live are made. Your Committee cannot control what occurs at the federal level, but concurs with this resolution to ensure that as the Coalition proceeds toward its objectives, it continues to consult with and include Hawaiian homestead organizations and other Hawaiian stakeholders, and consider their interests and concerns.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 183 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,
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____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair |
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