STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 714
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 1323
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1323, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture, upon approval of the
Board of Agriculture, rather than mutual agreement and approval of the Board of
Agriculture and Board of Land and Natural Resources, to accept the transfer of
and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands.
Your Committee
received testimony in support of
this measure from the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Boteilho Hawaii
Enterprises Inc.; Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association; Hawaii
Floriculture and Nursery Association; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; Larry Jefts
Farms, LLC; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; SC Ranch Company, Inc.;
Nobriga Ranch; Hawaii Forest Industry Association; Kealia Ranch; Kapāpala
Ranch; and numerous individuals. Your
Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department
of Land and Natural Resources. Your
Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.
Your Committee finds that Act 90,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2003 (Act 90), required the Department of Land and
Natural Resources to transfer certain non-agricultural park lands from the Department
of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture. However, the transfer of these lands has been
stalled for more than two decades, resulting in uncertainty for the farmers and
ranchers with long-term land leases for these lands. Your Committee further finds that Act 139,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, established a working group to address the delay
in the transfer of lands required by Act 90.
A key finding of the working group was that lands under the Department
of Land and Natural Resources that are used for the primary and substantial
management objective of agricultural production should be transferred to the Department
of Agriculture. This measure is intended
to facilitate the transfer of these lands to the Department of Agriculture to
ensure lands primarily used for farming and ranching are managed by the
appropriate agency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1323, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,
|
|
|
____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Chair |
|
|
|
|