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COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII <br /> tri cF•KA:d <br /> RESOLUTION NO. 92 23 <br /> A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING LEASE REFORM AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE <br /> FOR AGRICULTURAL PA S. <br /> WHEREAS, the State Department of Agriculture manages nine agricultural parks across <br /> Hawaii which are intended to support small farmers' diversified agricultural activities at a <br /> reasonable cost with long-term tenure; and <br /> WHEREAS, four of the State's agricultural parks are located on Hawaii Island, in the <br /> communities of Hamdkua, Keahole, Pahoa, and Pana`ewa, totaling 1,701 acres and 129 lots, and <br /> whose cultivators contribute to local agriculture systems and economy; and <br /> WHEREAS, according to the Transforming Hawai`i's Food System Together Initiative, <br /> approximately 85-90% of Hawai`i's food is imported, with appropriately five to seven days' <br /> worth of on-island stocks of personal, commercial, and emergency foods; and <br /> WHEREAS, the coronavirus pandemic sparked food shortages and supply chain <br /> disruptions, highlighting the islands' vulnerability caused by global events, natural disasters, and <br /> emergencies; and <br /> WHEREAS, less than 1% of the State's budget is committed to agriculture and current <br /> policies hamper farmers' efforts,therefore government support is needed to rejuvenate local food <br /> production in order to achieve a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system; and <br /> WHEREAS, in order to advance efforts to double local food production, local farmers <br /> need immediate support; and <br /> WHEREAS, affordable and reliable water for irrigation is a critical component for <br /> sustainable agriculture; and <br /> WHEREAS, farming is a challenging business, and policies and incentives must be <br /> developed to ensure farmers are supported to continue operations and increase their productivity; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Legislature is considering two measures that would <br /> positively impact Hawaii Island agriculture: 1) HB 1182 HD2 appropriates funding to the <br /> Department of Agriculture to prepare an environmental assessment for feasibility of lessees to <br /> drill non-potable water wells at Pana`ewa Agricultural Park, and 2) HB 307 HDI that would <br /> extend agricultural park leases of 25 acres of less for lessees with a remaining term of 15 years or <br /> less in counties with a population of less than 500K; now, therefore, <br />