Oppose SB3133 allowing direct negotiation for long-term public land leases
/2/10 update:
The measure passed out of committee and will continue to move. Keep your eyes out for the next hearing, we will be sure to let you know!
Please submit (late) testimony in opposition to SB3133 which would allow the BLNR to issue long-term leases for any of its commercial, industrial, or resort lands. This bad bill has a hearing on Wednesday, February 9 at 1:00 p.m. in the Senate Committee on Water and Land. Sample testimony and instructions to submit below!
Why this bill is bad:
Public land leases provide critical funds for DLNR to steward our lands and waters, and a percentage of certain lease revenues should also be set aside and transferred to OHA and DHHL for public land trust and former sugarcane lands, respectively. Direct negotiation authority for 55+ year leases could lock in low lease revenues from our most lucrative public lands for generations at a time, undermining the protection of our ‘āina and our obligations to the Hawaiian community.
Notably, a 2019 audit highlighted ways that the Land Division would be able to maximize its revenues from commercial leases, including by increasing its marketing capacity, and moving away from ground leases and using space leases instead. This measure would potentially let the Land Division stick to the status quo (as it says it prefers to do) rather than seek ways to improve their approach to leasing public lands, compromising the DLNR’s ability to care for our environment and undermining the state’s obligation to the Hawaiian community.
Sample testimony:
Aloha Chair Inouye, Vice Chair Keith-Agaran, and members of the Water and Land Committee,
I strongly OPPOSE SB3133, which would undermine the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ ability to steward our public lands and natural and cultural resources, as well as the state’s obligations to the Hawaiian community under the public land trust and the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. This measure would allow politically and financially powerful entities to negotiate directly with the BLNR for long-term commercial, industrial, or resort leases, without the public transparency or accountability required under current appraisal and public auction requirements. As a result, leases may fail to sufficiently generate much-needed revenues from our most lucrative public lands, impacting the DLNR’s ability to manage and protect our watersheds, streams, cultural sites, and other public trust resources, and reducing the amount of pro-rata funds that would otherwise be transferred to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands – for generations at a time. Accordingly, I respectfully urge your Committee to HOLD SB3133.
Mahalo nui,
[your name]
Testimony instructions:
Register for a capitol website account if you havenʻt yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)
Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the orange "Testimony" button.
Enter "SB3133" where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."
Input your information and your written testimony, and where it says "How will you be testifying?" make sure to check the bubble up to testify remotely via Zoom if you can!
If you are testifying via Zoom, sign back into your account on the capitol website three hours before the hearing and click on the orange "Testimony" button again; on the left hand side youʻll be able to scroll down and there will be a Zoom link next to SB3133 (for more information see here)