SR67 • 2026

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO EXEMPT ANY AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE PRACTICING DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE ON FORMER SUGARCANE LANDS WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT FROM ANY REQUIREMENT FOR A PERMIT OR SIGHT PLAN APPROVAL GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

Agriculture

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: RICHARDS, GABBARD, San Buenaventura
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: Referred to WLA.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO EXEMPT ANY AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE PRACTICING DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE ON FORMER SUGARCANE LANDS WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT FROM ANY REQUIREMENT FOR A PERMIT OR SIGHT PLAN APPROVAL GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

What This Bill Does

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO EXEMPT ANY AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE PRACTICING DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE ON FORMER SUGARCANE LANDS WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT FROM ANY REQUIREMENT FOR A PERMIT OR SIGHT PLAN APPROVAL GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
DLNR; Agriculture; Conservation District; Right to Farm; Sugarcane Lands; Exemption; Permit

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-19 S
Referred to WLA.
2026-03-16 S
Offered.

Official Summary Text

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO EXEMPT ANY AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE PRACTICING DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE ON FORMER SUGARCANE LANDS WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT FROM ANY REQUIREMENT FOR A PERMIT OR SIGHT PLAN APPROVAL GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
DLNR; Agriculture; Conservation District; Right to Farm; Sugarcane Lands; Exemption; Permit

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SR67

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

67

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting the department of land and natural resources and
board of land and natural resources to exempt any agricultural enterprise practicing
diversified agriculture on former sugarcane lands within the conservation
district from any requirement for a permit or sight plan approval granted by
the Department
.

����
WHEREAS, promoting
the development of diversified agriculture on certain former sugarcane lands
would support the State's food system resilience goals by increasing local food
production and reducing reliance on imports; and

����
WHEREAS, currently,
however, the permitting approval process for farmers and ranchers to undertake
this diversified agricultural activity on land in the state conservation
district is time consuming and burdensome, effectively disincentivizing these
activities; and

����
WHEREAS, depending
on how many acres of land a farmer or rancher plans to use for diversified
agriculture, they would have to obtain either a departmental or board permit
from the Department of Land and Natural Resources or the Board of Land and
Natural Resources; and

����
WHEREAS, both
permits require an extensive, detailed application that can take up to one
hundred eighty days to be approved, delaying the beneficial reuse and
maintenance of former plantation lands across the State; and

����
WHEREAS, expediting
the productive reuse of former sugarcane plantation lands for diversified
agriculture would support the State's food production goals and offer
opportunities for revegetation, ecological recovery, and improved wildfire
resilience; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and
Board of Land and Natural Resources are requested to exempt any agricultural
enterprise practicing diversified agriculture on former sugarcane lands within the
conservation district from any requirement for a permit or site plan approval
granted by the Department or Board, respectively; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Chairperson
of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
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DLNR;
Agriculture; Conservation District; Right to Farm; Sugarcane Lands; Exemption;
Permit