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Sept. 4,2024,11a.rn.
Hawai'i County Building
To: Nawvai1County Council
Heather Kimball, Chair
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From: GrassromKInstitute mVHawaii
Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher ~-
RE: Bill 144 — RELATING TO ZONING RESTRICTIONS FOR APIARIES AND BEEKEEPING
Aloha Chair Kimball, Vice -Chair Inaba and other members of the Council,
The GraosrootInstitute ofHawaii supports Bill 144, Draft 2, which would amend the countv'szoning
regulations onbeekeeping and apiaries.
|nparticular, the measure would amend the definitions oflivestock" "livestock production" and "aninnay,to
promote beekeeping; describe generally accepted management practices for beekeeping; reduce setbacks for
apiaries; and make them a permitted use in all zoning districts
Taken together, these changes would represent amajor positivechan8einhovvthe County regulates
beekeeping, which is at least a $20 million industry in Hawaii County alone.'
Apiaries — defined in the bill as sites where one or more colonies of bees are kept — currently are regulated
under the same county rules as piggeries and pen feeding of livestock.
These rules mean anyone wanting hohave ebeehive must get approval from the state Department ofHealth
and the County planning director and follow strict County setback laws, including having all hives 1,OOOfeet or
more from any roads — a requirement that ices the ability of many prospective beekeepers to manage hives.'
'June 2lZ0Z4meeting ofthe Leeward Planning Commission. See the 5_2_2_29_mQ��.
1050mshop St. #508 xonolulu,n|96813 808-864-1776
info@wassrooti
1
Bill 144 says its intention is to make clear that apiaries in Hawaii County are covered by the state's Right to
Farm Act, which generally protects farmers from complaints against their farms relating to nuisances such as
noise or smell if their farms are "conducted in a manner consistent with generally accepted agricultural and
management practices.i3
Under the bill, beekeepers would no longer have to follow the 1,000-foot limit and could instead follow less
strict setbacks of 25 feet from any property line or 15 feet for apiaries behind a flyover barrier.
This bill is a prime example of how relaxing overly broad regulations could assist Hawaii's entrepreneurs.
Hawaii Island beekeepers already supply 30% to 35% of all queen bees on the mainland and 75% in Canada.4
With many U.S. honeybee colonies in a precarious positions Hawaii's beekeepers could play a major role in
helping feed the United States and the world.
The measure also represents a major opportunity for the Council to boost a growing industry that could truly
help diversify the island's economy. The increased biodiversity that more bees would bring could improve
pollination to support Hawaii's local flora and fauna as well.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
3 Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 165, 165-4 Rht to farm,, accessed Aug. 4, 2024.
° See footnote 1.
s Seth Borenstein, "N r h If f h l i i r. r n i i i " Associated Press,
June 22, 2023.
1050 Bishop St. #508 Honolulu, HI 96813 808-864-1776 info@grassrootinstitute.org