Bill Text: HI SCR112 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 112 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Important Agricultural Lands; Advisory Group

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-17 - (S) Referred to AGL/WLH, EDT/PGM. [SCR112 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SCR112-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	112
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE convening of an advisory group to develop initiatives to make the use of important agricultural lands for sustainability and self-sufficiency purposes a priority.

WHEREAS, Hawaii has limited lands suitable for agricultural use; and

WHEREAS, the 1978 Constitutional Convention mandated protection of important agricultural lands; and

WHEREAS, section 3, Article XI, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii requires the State to conserve and protect agricultural lands, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency and assure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands, and to provide standards and criteria to accomplish those ends; and

WHEREAS, the recent rezoning of agricultural lands at Koa Ridge by the Land Use Commission increases pressure to protect remaining agricultural lands and reduces the possibility of increasing agricultural self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes, established the Land Use Commission within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for administrative purposes; and

WHEREAS, the Land Use Commission reviews petitions to reclassify district boundaries; and

WHEREAS, Act 183, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, amended chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to add a new part relating to important agricultural lands to provide policies, definitions and objectives, and standards and criteria for reclassification or rezoning, among other things, by the Land Use Commission; and

WHEREAS, the original intent and functions of the Land Use Commission have been criticized as subverting land use approvals in favor of the constituencies of development, and shutting out the public from the process; and

WHEREAS, each of the four counties have different definitions of agricultural use (for example, section 174C-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, defines "agricultural use" in relation to the State Water Code only) which together, do not direct the State to increase its self-sufficiency and sustainability; and

WHEREAS, sustainability and self-sufficiency have become ideas discussed in the public forum, such as at the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force conference; and

WHEREAS, the state Department of Agriculture is tasked under section 205-49, Hawaii Revised Statutes, with recommending to the Land Use Commission the identification and designation of important agricultural lands, but the Department of Agriculture has no jurisdiction over the zoning of agricultural lands; and

WHEREAS, real property taxes on agricultural lands are determined by each county; and

WHEREAS, the support and promotion of important agricultural lands for self-sufficiency and sustainability are addressed by multiple government entities; and

WHEREAS, coordination among state entities is necessary to support the use of agricultural lands to increase the State's agricultural self-sufficiency and sustainability; and

WHEREAS, statewide initiatives on the use of agricultural lands are necessary if the State is to increase its self-sufficiency and sustainability; and

WHEREAS, an assessment and identification of what statewide initiatives that would support self-sufficiency and sustainability are necessary; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Agriculture is requested to convene an advisory group to develop a list of initiatives, especially including changes to county zoning, government subsidies, and private-public partnerships, that make the use of important agricultural lands for sustainability and self-sufficiency purposes a priority; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory group be headed by the Department of Agriculture; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory group comprise representatives from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture, a representative from each of the four counties, and representatives from other entities such as the Ulupono Initiative, Kanu Hawaii, and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory group meet with government and private entities and hold public meetings which are subject to Chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the advisory group report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012 with:

(1) Findings, recommended initiatives, and proposed legislation to support self-sufficiency and sustainability using agricultural lands;

(2) A proposed statutory definition of "farm"; and

(3) A prioritized listing of statewide agricultural activities focusing on producing food for local consumers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Mayor of each county; and the heads

of Ulupono Initiative, Kanu Hawaii, and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center.