HI SR37

Urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt administrative rules under Chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to streamline the permitting process for traditional Hawaiian farming systems on conservation lands.

References Act 31 (2015) which encouraged growth of traditional Hawaiian farming systems, traditional native Hawaiian crops, and small-scale farms to meet agricultural objectives.

Recognizes traditional Hawaiian farming methods including loko i'a (fishponds), māla (cultivated gardens), and lo'i (irrigated patches) as innovative agricultural technologies that should be revitalized for food security and self-sufficiency.

Identifies traditional Hawaiian crops including kalo, 'uala (sweet potato), limu (seaweeds), 'awa (kava), hō'i'ō (native fern), and 'olena (turmeric) as important for food, medicine, and cultural practices.

Requires petitioners seeking to use conservation lands for farming to either be generational kupa'āina (persons of the place) or consult with native people of the specific ahupua'a to ensure crop compatibility with local ecosystems.