Bill Text: HI SCR210 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 210 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting The Department Of Land And Natural Resources' Division Of State Parks To Develop And Implement An Innovative Strategic Plan For The Use Of Coconut Palm Trees For The Purpose Of Creating A Sustainable Food Source.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-16 - Referred to WTL. [SCR210 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2021-SCR210-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	210
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of land and natural resources' division of state parks to develop and implement an innovative strategic plan for the use of coconut palm trees for the purpose of creating a sustainable food source.

WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Park System has over fifty parks encompassing approximately thirty thousand acres across the islands, ranging from landscaped grounds to wild land areas; and

WHEREAS, current State processes do not allow coconuts from the coconut palms in parks to grow into mature fruit due to safety concerns from falling coconuts, nor do they provide for the collection and processing of fallen fruit to distribute as food sources; and

WHEREAS, the people of Hawaii are committed to creating a sustainable food source where all residents can enjoy longer, healthier lives by combatting hunger and providing safe food access to everyone in our community, especially to our most vulnerable populations; and

WHEREAS, promoting innovative strategies of sustainable food sources will reduce waste and promote the sustainable use of lands for food; and

WHEREAS, the need has been identified to preserve and protect coconut fruits growing from the palm trees. It is essential to the public that fruit trees in state parks and state-owned lands be permitted to be utilized for a variety of purposes, such as a sustainable food source especially to feed those in need; and

WHEREAS, public outreach has been conducted in various formats to gather opinions and comments regarding the matter. Charity organizations, such as the Hawaii Foodbank and Hawaii Homeless Healthcare Hui, are willing to accept edible coconuts and the Hawaii Foodbank is agreeable to providing drivers to collect donations at various sites if coconuts from public lands were to be collected and processed; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of State Parks is requested to develop and implement an innovative and strategic plan for the use of coconut palms in state parks and state-owned lands as a sustainable food source; 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.