• Home
  • Blog
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 18
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 12
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 2
  • Archive
#GRANDTHEFTAINA
  • Home
  • Blog
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 18
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 12
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 2
  • Archive

 news and memes​
#shareshare
#grandtheftaina 

SB2812 and HB2035: Clear-Cutting and Development of Native Forests, Public Hunting Grounds

3/9/2020

3 Comments

 

UPDATE:  HB2035 has a hearing scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2020 at 1:20 p.m. in the Hawai'i State Capitol conference room 224, before the House Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs Committee.  REVIEW THE BILL AND SUBMIT TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION HERE.
​(see below for sample testimony)

UPDATE ON SB2812: WLH voted to PASS, WITH AMENDMENTS.  Ayes: Yamane, Todd, Har, Tarnas, Ward; Reservations: Lowen; No: Wildberger.
93,000 acres.  Equivalent in size to well over half the entire island of Moloka'i (and nearly twice the size of Moloka'i Ranch), or 900 Aloha Stadiums (parking lots included), or 70,500 football fields. 

That is how much public land on Hawai'i Island alone - including relatively untouched native forests, endangered species habitat, public hunting areas and access corridors, and countless cultural resources and sites - that would be transferred to the Department of Agriculture under SB2812 and HB2035, to renegotiate and issue new leases to powerful Hawai'i Island ranches for cattle grazing and livestock production.  
  
These ranches -- who no longer want to abide by the conditions and requirements placed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources on their use of public lands -- believe that the Department of Agriculture will give them much more favorable lease terms, and are lobbying HARD for the passage of these bills.  And the Department of Agriculture, via spokesperson (and former HART deputy director) Morris Atta's testimony, is more than happy to take control of these lands, because "the industry wants it." 

Not only does the Department of Agriculture lack the mission, expertise, or staff to consider and take care of the environmental, cultural, and subsistence value of these lands, it also, through its board, has the power to exempt "agricultural" developments from almost every environmental and land use protection law.  
  
Despite valid and clearly justified concerns from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture's complete inability to articulate why a wholesale transfer of these 93,000 acres would support the public's interests (other than because "the industry wants it"), Senators and Representatives thus far have caved to the political pressures of Hawai'i Island's ranching lobby and their allies.  

The kicker?  43,000 head, or 80% of the cattle raised on Hawai'i ranches marketed in 2018 were exported to the mainland.  So why are certain ranch lobbyists claiming they are contributing to our local food security and carbon reduction goals?  How dumb do they think our legislators are?  

Review the testimonies submitted on these measures here and here, and submit your own when a hearing is scheduled.   
UPDATE:   HB2035 HAS A HEARING scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2020 at 1:20 p.m. in the Hawai'i State Capitol conference room 224, before the Senate Water and Land and Agriculture and Environment Committees.  REVIEW THE BILL AND SUBMIT TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION HERE (or e-mail [email protected] and [email protected]) AND SPREAD THE WORD!

"Dear Chairs Kahele and Gabbard, Vice Chairs Keith-Agaran and Ruderman, and members of the Senate Water and Land and Agriculture and Environment Committees,

I OPPOSE HB2035 HD1 because it will let private ranches ignore the public interest in nearly 100,000 acres of public lands, by enabling the destruction of natural and cultural resources, the blocking of access to hunting grounds and cultural sites, and the development of agricultural facilities without environmental review or land use legal protections. Nothing is stopping private ranches from continuing to use public lands for their cattle operations, in balance with the many other interests and concerns of hikers, hunters, Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, conservationists, and others in these lands.  Please HOLD this measure and protect the public trust in our limited public lands.

Thank you,
(your name)"

3 Comments
Andrea Quinn
3/9/2020 06:46:54 pm

Why do you make this so difficult to know if we should support the bill or not?
Why not just say so in the first place.

Reply
GTAII
3/9/2020 07:35:10 pm

Mahalo Andrea, post updated with sample testimony!

Reply
Rev Dr Malama
6/24/2020 02:38:59 pm

I have no doubt that your organization has good intentions in all the fighting against the United states legislation being imposed on the Hawai'ian Kingdom Kingdom Nation but.... to what avail and cost of stress and despair?
I think the most productive thing to do is to FOCUS ON THE INDEPENDENCE OF OUR HAWAI'IAN NATION AS IT IS WRITTEN...in treaties and now textbooks in our schools.
Replace the representatives in all seats of the State and County Government with Aloha Aina Supporters who are highly educated and qualified for each seat and those who pledge allegiance to the Queen's government of The Hawai'ian Kingdom.
We really are in a state of war and cultural genocide meanwhile!

Mahalo and Aloha,
Sincerely,
Rev Dr Malama

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    JOIN THE FIGHT

    Please share our news and memes, and link back to our website to help spread the word to those who should care.

    Archives

    April 2021
    June 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    Cattle Industry Giveaway SB2812/HB2035
    HB499
    Public Lands For Unaffordable Housing SB3104
    SB2812/HB2035

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 18
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 12
  • CALL TO ACTION APRIL 2
  • Archive