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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
228 |
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TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
requesting the department of land and natural resources to conduct a study on the existence of sandalwood on the major hawaiian islands.
WHEREAS, Hawaiians often referred to sandalwood as "iliahi" and sometimes "la'au'ala"; and
WHEREAS, ancient Hawaiians used sandalwood for medicinal purposes as well as to scent kapa, and today sandalwood is often used for carvings, incense, and fragrances; and
WHEREAS, sandalwood was a prime commodity during the early 1800s due to its trading value and appeal to foreign visitors; and
WHEREAS, while sandalwood was once found in abundance in Hawaii, the global rarity of and demand for this highly valued material has long since depleted Hawaii's sandalwood forest; and
WHEREAS, there is no estimate of the surviving number of sandalwood trees in the Hawaiian Islands or how much sandalwood is harvested each year; and
WHEREAS, currently, Hawaii does not have any established regulations regarding the commercial harvesting of sandalwood; and
WHEREAS, competition for Hawaii's valuable land and proliferation of invasive species further threaten the survival of sandalwood in the Hawaiian Islands; and
WHEREAS, without any regulation of the commercial harvesting of sandalwood, it is difficult to ascertain the amount and extent of sandalwood that is being cultivated; and
WHEREAS, without any data regarding the remaining sandalwood in the Hawaiian Islands, it is difficult to determine what effects the removal of sandalwood trees have on the ecosystem and Hawaii's endangered species; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to conduct a study of sandalwood for each of the major Hawaiian Islands; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to include in its study:
(1) Areas in Hawaii suitable for reforestation with sandalwood;
(2) The amount of available sandalwood seeds in Hawaii; and
(3) The amount of sandalwood cultivated in the wild; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to all legislators by September 30, 2014; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Sandalwood; DLNR; Study