Community groups, leaders rally to save public and "ceded" lands

Logos of some of the signatories to a joint community letter imploring state legislators to safeguard public and "ceded" lands and the public trust, by voting no on HB499 HD2 SD2 CD1 (click image to download a copy of the letter).

36 community organizations and three community leaders submitted a letter yesterday afternoon to each member of the Hawai'i State Legislature, urging that they vote no on HB499 HD2 SD2 CD1 during their final floor vote on the bill on Tuesday, April 27.

The letter voiced the group's concerns regarding the 40-year lease extensions that would be authorized by the bill, including the potential for inappropriate or outdated industrial, commercial, resort, and government/military uses of public trust lands to be continued for another four decades, and for a tidal wave of century-long leases that would all but privatize public lands and foreclose unrelinquished Native Hawaiian claims to stolen "ceded" lands.    

The letter also provided examples of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' poor decisionmaking in its administration of public and "ceded" lands, which only heighten concerns regarding the additional authority and discretion the bill would provide the Department. 

​Finally, the overwhelming opposition to the bill throughout the legislative process was raised as another indication that this bill is not an appropriate step for the legislature to take at this time.

Read the letter here.

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What can you do to help?

You can add your voice to help save our public and "ceded" lands for future generations, by also urging our legislature to vote NO on HB499 HD2 SD2 CD1.  

1.  E-mail all legislators using the list of e-mails you can copy and paste to the right.  Talking points can be found here.
2. Call your Senator and Representative to ask that they stop this bill, until the concerns of all stakeholders and the claims of Native Hawaiians can be properly addressed.
3. Share this post and call to action with your networks.

E-mail all legislators by copy and pasting the below list of e-mail addresses:

​senacasio@capitol.hawaii.gov
senfevella@capitol.hawaii.gov
senriviere@capitol.hawaii.gov
senihara@capitol.hawaii.gov
senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov
sensanbuenaventura@capitol.hawaii.gov
senshimabukuro@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkim@capitol.hawaii.gov
sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkeohokalole@capitol.hawaii.gov
senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov
senchang@capitol.hawaii.gov
sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov
senenglish@capitol.hawaii.gov
seninouye@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkanuha@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkeithagaran@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkidani@capitol.hawaii.gov
senkouchi@capitol.hawaii.gov
senlee@capitol.hawaii.gov
senmisalucha@capitol.hawaii.gov
senmoriwaki@capitol.hawaii.gov
sentaniguchi@capitol.hawaii.gov
senwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov
repeli@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repganaden@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repgates@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repkapela@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmckelvey@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repperruso@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptam@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repdecoite@Capitol.hawaii.gov
replopresti@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmarten@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptokioka@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repwildberger@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repokimoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repilagan@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repdkobayashi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repquinlan@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptodd@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repward@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repbranco@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repholt@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmatsumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repsayama@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repaquino@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repcullen@Capitol.hawaii.gov
rephar@Capitol.hawaii.gov
rephashem@Capitol.hawaii.gov
rephashimoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repichiyama@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repjohanson@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repkitagawa@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repkobayashi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repkong@Capitol.hawaii.gov
replowen@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repluke@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmatayoshi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmcdermott@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmizuno@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repmorikawa@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repnakamura@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repnakashima@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repnishimoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repohno@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reponishi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repsaiki@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptakayama@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptakumi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
reptarnas@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repwoodson@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repyamane@Capitol.hawaii.gov
repyamashita@Capitol.hawaii.gov