HI SR65

Encourages Hawaii residents to select plantable native trees for holiday celebrations instead of importing evergreen trees from the continental United States to reduce transportation costs and carbon emissions.

Requests the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force to design a scalable pilot program supporting the use of plantable native trees instead of imported evergreen trees for holidays.

Directs the Department of Agriculture to work with nurseries and stakeholders to promote local production and marketing of indigenous Hawaiian trees for holiday use.

Directs the Department of Land and Natural Resources to work with public and private stakeholders to identify and prepare land for reforestation using trees available for planting each January from the pilot program.

Requests support from the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission and University of Hawaii subject matter experts in establishing the pilot program.