HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-02-12 Letter to Richard P. Creagan re HB 1785 Relating to Important Agricultural LandsHarry Kim
110)'or
Wil Okabe
it'tc111c11.,Ifl:, Director
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
(„) ffirr of fir
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553
KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg 0 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740
(808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440
February 12, 2018
Representative Richard P. Creagan, Chair
Committee on Agriculture
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 312
Honolulu, HI 96813
Dear Chair Creagan and Committee Members:
Re: HB 1785 Relating to Important Agricultural Lands
Hearing Date 02/14/18 — 8:30 am, House Conference Room 312
Thank you for this opportunity to comment on HB 1785 dealing with Important
Agricultural Lands (IAL).
The County of Hawaii's General Plan and various Community Development
Plans have goals, objectives, and policies consistent with preserving viable and
productive agricultural land for farming and ranching. This County supports the intent of
IAL, and any funding assistance from the state is welcomed, but offer some concerns
and suggested amendments to HB 1785.
There are a number of issues that will not be resolved by this bill at its proposed
funding level:
• The County of HawaVi has more than 1.2 million acres designated as state land use
(SLU) agriculture, far more than any other county (followed by Maui having just over
400,000 acres on its three islands).
• With other critical priorities in play, this County does not foresee having the staff,
funds, or capacity in the coming years to initiate the IAL study and extensive !ant() ner
and public outreach required by Act 183, especially given the size of our island.
• Pursuant to HRS 20545, Landowners can, at any time in the process, file a petition
and lock out the county proceedings, thereby rendering moot any analysis, time, and
expense already incurred by the counties.
During Hawaii County's last General Plan review in 2005, we took information
from a study being done by USGS, which was an initial effort in the direction of
County of 1 lavi aii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer,
February 12, 2018
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identifying IAL, but it did not include the level of research required for true IAL based on
Act 183 and was not intended to substantiate going public with a petition to the LUC.
In consideration of the above, we request amendments to HB 1785 regarding the
following:
1. The prea be of HB 1785 talks about identifying IAL 'within sixty months of
receipt of state funds." The sixty month timeframe should be deleted, or if it must
remain, triggered by petition of the counties to the state to accept the funds, which rnust
be approved by our County Council.
2. While any state contribution to the IAL effort is always welcomed, the amount of
money proposed in H 1785 would be only a fraction of what is needed statewide. In
consideration of what the other counties have spent on their IAL efforts, we respectfully
request that the total sum be increased to at least $2 million.
3. Although evenly slitting the funds among the counties may appear equitable,
the cost of such a study is tied more closely to the amount of land studied an, the
number of parcels/landowners that will require review, consultation and coordination.
We thereby request that you consider dividing the funds based on a percentage of state
land use agriculture lands in each county, rather than dividing them equally.
Finally, to be fair, we would support. the use of these funds to reimburse the other
counties for IAL efforts they have concluded or currently have in srocess.
Respectfully sub itted,
Harry Kim
Mayor, County of Hawaii
County ()f FIawali is an Equal ()pportunity Provider and En