HCR 91: REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND DEPARTMENT OF education TO CollaboRATE TO ESTABLISH A formal, long-term collaborative Program to EXPAND, equitably distribute, and sustain Tree-Canopy coverage across Public Schools STATE wide.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND DEPARTMENT OF education TO CollaboRATE TO ESTABLISH A formal, long-term collaborative Program to EXPAND, equitably distribute, and sustain Tree-Canopy coverage across Public Schools STATE wide.

     WHEREAS, increasing heat in Hawaii threatens student health and limits outdoor-learning and recreational opportunities across public schools statewide; and

     WHEREAS, only twenty-one percent of elementary schools currently meet the recommended thirty-percent tree-canopy coverage needed to provide adequate shade and cooling; and

     WHEREAS, Title I schools and schools that serve lower-income communities often have less tree-canopy coverage and suffer from higher heat exposure, raising significant concerns about equity; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to lowering the temperature on school campuses through shade, transpiration, and reduction of the heat-island effect, trees also absorb storm water, clean the air, beautify spaces, and help achieve state and county environmental goals; and

     WHEREAS, there are twenty-nine agricultural or natural-resource programs on Department of Education campuses statewide, where tree propagation, planting, and care offer relevant educational opportunities for students; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, through its Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program, successfully partnered with the Department of Education under a 2025 Memorandum of Agreement to implement the Shade Trees for Schools initiative and successfully partnered in 2024 in a Fruit Trees for Schools pilot program initiative on campuses with agricultural programs; and

     WHEREAS, these efforts demonstrate strong demand and measurable benefits but have been tied to specific short-term funding opportunities; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Education are requested to establish a formal, long-term collaborative program to expand, equitably distribute, and sustain tree-canopy coverage across public schools statewide; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the program is requested to incorporate and plan for the long-term maintenance of the trees and the selection of species and locations that would ensure durable climate, health, and educational benefits for Hawaii's students; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body supports the creation of staff positions to implement and sustain the work of this formal, long-term collaborative program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Superintendent of Education.

Report Title: 

Tree Canopy; Public Schools