Bill > SR143

This resolution urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and other state agencies to collaborate with community groups in co-managing community forests on public lands, building on Governor Josh Green's proclamation of 2025 as the Year of Our Community Forests. The resolution highlights the multiple benefits of community forests, including health advantages like stress reduction and disease prevention, environmental benefits such as clean air and water, native species habitat preservation, and carbon storage, as well as economic benefits like increased property values and support for local businesses. It emphasizes that the State manages over 700,000 acres of public forest reserve lands and recognizes that effective forest stewardship requires significant dedication, expertise, and community involvement. The resolution specifically calls for sustained, collaborative relationships that honor community investment and support traditional Native Hawaiian practices of land stewardship (aloha 'aina), with the ultimate goal of improving both the state's forests and its communities. The document concludes by directing that copies of the resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson and members of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=143&year=2025