HB1097

Report Title:

Sustainable Development; Roundtable Discussion Panel

Description:

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a Round Table Discussion Panel to pursue various objectives related to sustainable development.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1097
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to sustainable development.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

The legislature finds that in 1978, the Hawaii State Planning Act was established to "increase the effectiveness of government and private actions, to improve coordination among different agencies and levels of government, to provide for wise use of Hawaii’s resources and to guide the future development of the State." Under the Act, the Hawaii State Plan was to be defined by the following principles:

(1) Individual and family self-sufficiency;

(2) Social and economic mobility; and

(3) Community or social well-being.

However, in a June 2003 article in the Hawaii Business News, former governor George Ariyoshi declared that although Hawaii has done a decent job in preserving our resources in the midst of the demands of a growing, modern economy and society, our mechanisms for planning have either lost focus or fallen into disuse. In the onslaught of anxiety over national security, the war in Iraq, as well as continuing worries in terms of the national and local economy, Ariyoshi notes that "there is less and less agreement about who we are, how we are to manage ourselves, and where we are going." In other words, there is no comprehensive plan that individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies can use as a guide, that takes into account the needs of the present, but does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The legislature finds that many communities around the world have come to see that the concept of sustainable development is crucial to the health of their future. They understand that they can avoid choosing between economic prosperity and a quality environment, knowing that both are necessary ingredients for their well-being. In addition, these communities must take into account their long-term futures, as their children will have to live with the effects of the decisions that are made in the present.

Hawaii exists in the middle of the vast Pacific ocean. We cannot continue to rely on imports of food and fuel, treat the environment and our natural resources as if they will last forever, and count on tourism to hold up our economy while ignoring the needs of new business ventures that may contribute to a self-sufficient Hawaii.

The legislature finds that the Planning Act should be amended to include the goal of sustainable development in its vision. Sustainable development is defined as:

"Development that maintains and/or enhances economic

opportunity and community well-being while protecting

and restoring the natural environment upon which peoples

and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their own needs."

The legislature further finds that a Hawaii plan for sustainable development should be all-inclusive, relying on participation by all segments of society. A Hawaii sustainable development initiative would encourage youth, private citizens, government leaders, and business interests to analyze actions and policies through lenses that are colored by concern for individual and community self reliance, the preservation of the environment, the overall well-being of the state, and the well-being of the future. A Hawaii sustainable development initiative would frame priorities, help policy makers see where greater resources are needed, and help us think about the long-term effects and value of our actions. It would encourage us to ask questions such as:

(1) Are we providing enough support to areas like agriculture and alternative energy so that our children and grandchildren will not have to rely on imports for food and energy;

(2) Are we considering the environment, our natural resources, and the social vitality of communities in areas that are undergoing development;

(3) Are we thinking about what kinds of businesses should be encouraged, not only in terms of our economic well-being, but in terms of their potential contribution in creating a more self-reliant Hawaii;

(4) Are we thinking about what we can do to make it easier for local markets to fill their shelves with local produce and products (we import ninety per cent of our food); and

(5) Are we doing enough to educate our youth, our communities, our industries, and our leaders on the importance of thinking, acting, and creating policies that preserve our environment and natural resources and contribute to a Hawaii that can sustain itself in the future?

The purpose of this Act is to require the department

of agriculture to establish a roundtable discussion panel

to:

(1) Develop, promote, and stimulate interest and participation in the Hawaii sustainable development initiative, a collaboration of business, government, and civic interests that promotes policies, institutions, and actions that ensure Hawaii's long-term environmental, economic, and social well-being;

(2) Expand and enhance the goals set out in the Planning Act by reframing the Act within the goal of sustainable development;

(3) Develop new principles based on sustainable development to guide the state;

(4) Establish a new set of goals based on sustainable development;

(5) Develop legislation that establishes an office of sustainable development; and

(6) Develop legislation that establishes the sustainable development board, supported by the office of sustainable development.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of agriculture shall establish a roundtable discussion panel composed of business, environmental, and community leaders to discuss how Hawaii residents can safeguard their long-term economic, social, and environmental well-being.

(b) The roundtable discussion panel shall:

(2) Expand and enhance the goals set out in the Planning Act by reframing the Act within the goal of sustainable development;

(3) Develop new principles based on sustainable development to guide the state;

(4) Establish a new set of goals based on sustainable development;

(5) Develop legislation that establishes an office of sustainable development to develop long-range plans for the state, stimulate public participation in the Hawaii sustainable development initiative, and coordinate public policy relating to sustainable development among state agencies and the different branches of government; and

(6) Develop legislation that establishes the sustainable development board, which is to be supported by the office of sustainable development and which draws together community leaders, youth, and government leaders, to devise plans and policies relating to sustainable development and to review projects that significantly influence Hawaii's environment.

(c) The roundtable discussion panel shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including legislation to establish the office of sustainable development and the sustainable development board specified in subsection (b), to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2006.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006 to fund the operational costs of the roundtable discussion panel established in section 2 of this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________