HR 167: urging the counties to establish, strengthen, or expand historic preservation functions within county government to complement and support statewide historic preservation efforts.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the counties to establish, strengthen, or expand historic preservation functions within county government to complement and support statewide historic preservation efforts.

     WHEREAS, Hawaiʻi possesses unique and irreplaceable cultural resources, including historic buildings, archaeological sites, burial sites, cultural landscapes, traditional cultural properties, and places of significance to the history and posterity of native Hawaiian culture; and

     WHEREAS, the preservation of these resources strengthens Hawaiʻi's cultural identity, supports education and community stewardship, and contributes to the protection of places and resources that embody the history and heritage of Hawaiʻi; and

     WHEREAS, the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources administers the State's Historic Preservation Program, including maintaining the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places, reviewing proposed projects for potential impacts to historic properties, and ensuring compliance with federal and state historic preservation laws; and

     WHEREAS, the State Historic Preservation Division plays a critical role in implementing historic preservation review pursuant to chapter 6E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and coordinating with federal agencies under the National Historic Preservation Act; and

     WHEREAS, the responsibilities assigned to the State Historic Preservation Division are extensive and include project review, consultation, documentation, and the protection of archaeological and historic resources throughout the State; and

     WHEREAS, the counties exercise significant authority over land use planning, zoning, development approvals, and building permits and therefore play an important role in protecting historic and cultural sites and resources; and

     WHEREAS, many jurisdictions across the United States maintain county or municipal historic preservation offices that complement state historic preservation programs and provide localized expertise and review capacity; and

     WHEREAS, the establishment or strengthening of historic preservation functions at the county level could enhance coordination with the State Historic Preservation Division; improve early identification of historic and cultural resources during planning and permitting processes; provide additional capacity for review and stewardship; and ensure continuity of protection for Hawaiʻi's historic and cultural resources in the event that state-level protections, capacity, or administrative resources are diminished; and

     WHEREAS, ensuring that counties have the ability to support historic preservation activities would help maintain continuity of protection for historic and cultural resources should state-level protections or administrative capacity be reduced; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the counties are urged to establish, strengthen, or expand historic preservation functions within county government to complement and support statewide historic preservation efforts; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these functions may include the establishment of county historic preservation offices, commissions, advisory boards, or designated staff within planning or cultural resource departments responsible for coordinating historic preservation activities and reviewing potential impacts on historic and cultural resources; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the counties are encouraged to develop local policies, inventories, and procedures that help identify, evaluate, and protect historic and cultural resources within their jurisdictions, consistent with applicable state and federal preservation laws; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Administrator of the State Historic Preservation Division; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Mayors of the County of Hawaiʻi, County of Kauaʻi, and County of Maui; Chair of the Honolulu City Council; and Chairs of the Hawaiʻi County Council, Kauaʻi County Council, and Maui County Council.

Report Title: 

Counties; Historic Preservation Functions; Historic and Cultural Resources