Take action on four environmental bills!

We just passed the halfway point of legislative session and four top priority bills already have hearings next week! Please take action and submit testimony via your account at capitol.hawaii.gov. Testimony should be submitted at least 24 hours before each hearing to ensure your testimony is received on these important bills:

OPPOSE HB499 HD2 - TO STOP 99-YEAR LEASES ON PUBLIC LANDS: This bill has a hearing in the Senate WTL Committee on Monday 3/15 @ 1 PM. Simply “oppose” or feel free to use the sample testimony below:

Aloha Chair Inouye, Vice Chair Keith-Agaran, and members of the Committee,

I oppose HB499 HD2, which would allow the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources to extend leases on public lands throughout the state without any cap. From stream diversions on Maui and Kauai, to Mauna Kea and Pohakuloa on Hawaii island, we already have ongoing issues with DLNR’s management of public lands and issuance of long-term leases. The DLNR should not be allowed to extend leases for the benefit of private developers, especially without public transparency, proper stewardship, or assessment of environmental impacts. Please defer HB499.

POST-HEARING UPDATE: Despite all the opposition, HB499 was passed out of WTL Committee by Chair Inouye. The votes were 4 yes by Senator Inouye, Senator Keith-Agaran, Senator Misalucha, and Senator Riviere (yes with reservations) and 1 no vote from Senator Fevella. Next up, we need to stop this bill from being heard and passed out of WAM Committee. Please call Sen. Dela Cruz at 808-586-6090 and request that he does not hear this bill.

OPPOSE SB137 SD2 - TO PROTECT AGRICULTURAL LANDS FROM DEVELOPMENT: This bill has a joint hearing in the House Water and Land and House Housing Committees on Tuesday 3/16 @ 10:15 AM. Simply “oppose” or feel free to use the sample testimony below:

Aloha Chair Tarnas, Chair Nakamura, and members of the Committees,

I oppose SB 137 SD2, which weakens the Land Use Commission’s oversight on agricultural lands by allowing counties to rezone 25 acres of farmland to be converted to housing that is not guaranteed to actually be “affordable.” This bill would reduce public participation in land use decisions, increase laxness and loopholes for special interests, and reduce critical state oversight and protections of our resources. Please defer SB137.

POST-HEARING UPDATE: Your advocacy in opposition helped! SB137 was deferred in WAL and HSG Committees by Chair Tarnas and Chair Nakamura. This bill is now dead for this session. Please call Rep. Tarnas at 808-586-8510 and Rep. Nakamura at 808-586-8435 and thank them for deferring this bad bill.

OPPOSE HB469 HD1 - TO PROTECT OUR WATERSHED LANDS: This bill has a joint hearing in the Senate Water and Land and Senate Agriculture and Environment Committees on Wednesday 3/17 @ 1:05 pM. Simply “oppose” or feel free to use the sample testimony below:

Aloha Chair Inouye, Chair Gabbard, and members of the Committees,

I oppose HB469 HD1, the "pasture" lands transfer bill. By transferring nearly 100,000 acres of public lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture, the ranching industry could clear cut watershed forests and native species habitat, pay even less for our public trust resources, and even exempt development on these lands from state and county environmental and development laws. Such a controversial measure should NOT be passed in light of the limited opportunity for public participation and dialogue over its final amended form. Please defer HB469.

POST-HEARING UPDATE: Decision making on HB469 was deferred until Monday, March 22 @ 1:05 to allow the committees more time to work on bill amendments that were proposed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Cattlemen Association. Hearing notice here. Please call Sen. Inouye at 808-586-7335 and Sen. Gabbard at 808-586-6830 and ask that they defer HB469 and protect our watershed lands.

SUPPORT HB243 HD1 - TO PLAN AND COORDINATE STATEWIDE FOR SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACTS: This bill has a joint hearing in the Senate Water and Land and Senate Agriculture and Environment Committees on Wednesday 3/17 @ 1:05 pM. Simply “support” or feel free to use the sample testimony below:

Aloha Chair Inouye, Chair Gabbard, and members of the Committees,

I strongly support HB243 HD1 for improved planning and statewide coordination for sea level rise adaptation. While the state of Hawaii has adopted very ambitious goals for clean energy and carbon neutrality to reduce our carbon emissions, much work remains for developing and implementing sea level rise adaptation strategies we will need in this era of climate change. HB243 is a common sense first step. I also support language in this bill to protect the state’s most vulnerable populations and promote resilience and nature-based adaptation solutions. Please pass HB243.

POST-HEARING UPDATE: Your advocacy in support helped! HB243 was passed in WTL and AEN Committees by Sen. Inouye and Sen. Gabbard. Next up, this bill needs to be heard and passed in a joint WAM and JDC committee hearing by April 9th. Please call Sen. Dela Cruz at 808-586-6090 and Sen. Rhoads at 808-586-6130 and ask they schedule a joint hearing for HB243.

Your remote engagement this session is crucial, especially because we cannot physically be at the Capitol to advocate on these bills. Mahalo!