Bill > HB2218

This bill authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to enter into "community co-management agreements" with qualified "community-based organizations," which are defined as non-profit organizations committed to caring for natural and cultural resources. These agreements, which can last up to sixty-five years, allow for the sharing of management responsibilities and rights of use for specific public lands, known as "community co-management units." The bill outlines specific purposes for these agreements, including preserving Native Hawaiian subsistence, cultural, and religious practices, protecting natural and historical resources, restoring native species, managing visitor activities, and facilitating "aina education," which refers to place-based learning grounded in Hawaiian values and language. To be eligible, community-based organizations must demonstrate their non-profit status, provide information about their board and staff, detail past projects, describe the proposed co-management unit, justify the agreement, and submit a comprehensive co-management plan. The bill also amends existing law to include "community co-management agreements" as a method for the disposition of public lands, alongside traditional methods like leases and permits, and establishes that individuals who have previously had a public land disposition canceled for non-compliance are ineligible for such agreements. This legislation is intended to support more effective stewardship of public trust resources by recognizing the essential role of local communities and honoring traditional Hawaiian concepts of land management, with an effective date of July 1, 3000.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2218&year=2026