HI SR131

Urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt administrative rules that streamline permitting for traditional Hawaiian farming systems on conservation lands.

References Act 31 (Session Laws of Hawaii 2015), which established agricultural objectives promoting traditional Hawaiian farming systems, traditional Hawaiian crops, and small-scale farms.

Identifies traditional Hawaiian farming methods including loko i'a (fishponds), māla (cultivated gardens), and lo'i (irrigated patches) as important for food security, crop diversity, and cultural preservation.

Notes that streamlining the permitting process for loko i'a (traditional fishponds) has already had significant beneficial impacts throughout the islands.

Directs certified copies be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Attorney General, Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Chairperson of the Environmental Council.