Notice of Public Hearing

Department of Agriculture
Proposed Adoption of Administrative Rules
Governing the Non-Agricultural Park Lands Program

Notice is hereby given that the Agricultural Resource Management Division, Department of Agriculture, State of Hawaii, pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and other applicable laws, will hold public hearings as follows:

October 1, 2007, 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Agriculture, 16 E. Lanikaula Street, Hilo, Hawaii;

October 2, 2007, 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Agriculture, Maui; 635 Mua Street, Kahului, Maui;

October 3, 2007, 9:00 a.m. at the Department of Agriculture, Hale Waiolama Building, 1428 South King Street, Honolulu, Oahu; and

October 4, 2007, 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Agriculture, 4398A Pua Loke Street, Lihue, Kauai;

for the purpose of receiving testimony on the proposed administrative rules entitled, “Non-Agricultural Park Lands Program Rules.”

The proposed rules will allow the Department of Agriculture to govern the Non- Agricultural Park Lands Program. This program was created in the 2003 legislative session in an effort to transfer management responsibility for state owned agricultural lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture. Highlights of the proposed rules include: 1) An option to extend an existing lease for up to 65 years; 2) An option to cancel an existing lease nearing the end of its term and issue a new lease to the existing tenant without going to public auction; and 3) Authority for the department to develop future non-agricultural park lands projects.

A copy of the proposed rules is available to any person who pays in advance for the copy and postage, if any, by calling (808) 973-9473 (Honolulu), or by sending an e-mail request to “hdoa.arm@hawaii.gov”, or may be viewed at the hearing sites listed above, during normal business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., August 31 – September 28, 2007. The proposed rules may also be viewed and downloaded from the Internet at: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/publicnotices.htm.

All interested persons may speak at the hearings. Persons with disabilities may request special accommodations by writing at least 10 days before the hearing to ARM Division, 1428 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814-2512. Others unable to attend or not wishing to speak may submit written testimony to the same address within 5 days after the last hearing date.

STATE OF HAWAII
Board of Agriculture
Sandra Lee Kunimoto, Chairperson (SB05531614 8/30/07)