SR 96: 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.

SENATE 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 Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, 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 Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Superintendent of Education.

Report Title: 

Tree Canopy; Public Schools