HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

197

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND MANAGERS RIDGE LLC TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE KAHUKU HIGH and INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL AGRICULTURE PROGRAM.

 

 


     WHEREAS, the Kahuku High and Intermediate School Kokoula Natural Resources Academy, agriculture program, and Future Farmers of America ohana have a long and proud tradition of providing valued agricultural education in Koolau Loa; and

 

     WHEREAS, the agriculture program seeks to nurture, support and enhance agricultural awareness, build technical skills for diverse types of farming, create cultural awareness, promote good character and citizenship, and ensure appreciation for Hawaii's unique and treasured natural resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, the numerous successes the program has enjoyed over the past seventy-five years are directly attributable to the hard work, dedication, and pride of generations of teachers and students; and

 

     WHEREAS, the school's current instructor, Matt Kanemoto, is blessed to be teaching fourth and fifth generation students in the program; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Kahuku Future Farmers of America chapter is one of nineteen active chapters in Hawaii, and one of 7,200 chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Kahuku chapter was chartered in the early 1940's and was the sixth to be established in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, students in the Kahuku chapter now join over two hundred members statewide and nearly 400,000 young adults nationwide in developing and practicing the important life skills of servant leadership, communication, decision making, responsibility, initiative, respect and trustworthiness; and

     WHEREAS, founded in 1929, the National Future Farmers of America Organization is the largest career and technical education student club in the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, national headquarters for the Future Farmers of America is located in Indianapolis, Indiana; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Future Farmers of America motivates students to make positive contributions to their homes, schools, communities, and country; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Kahuku Future Farmers of America has collected innumerable state and national awards over the decades and honored many community members for their contributions to the students, agriculture program, and school; and

 

WHEREAS, the current school agriculture program is solidly standards-based; and

 

WHEREAS, the school's agriculture program has utilized approximately two acres of land adjacent to and behind the school for its agriculture and aquaculture field program since the 1940s; and

 

WHEREAS, the land now is used for hydroponics, aquaculture with fish and prawn cultivation, aquatic plants, native Hawaiian medicinal plants, and the preservation of endangered native trees, such as koa, wetland taro, and landscape and ornamental plants as well as annual crops such as corn; and

 

WHEREAS, the Legislature has regularly provided both capital to improve the existing site and operating support for the school's agriculture program; and

 

     WHEREAS, capital and operating funds for these programs have also been provided through grants and community partnerships as a result of the initiative and hard work of the teacher and students; and

 

WHEREAS, the Estate of James Campbell sold the land, as part of a larger parcel identified as tax map key no. 5-6-6:57 to Managers Ridge LLC (landowner) on March 3, 2006; and

 

WHEREAS, the current landowner is preparing plans for the residential development of the parcel it now owns; and

 

WHEREAS, the school desires to continue its agriculture program on this land; and

 

WHEREAS, the Legislature believes the school's agriculture program furthers the educational objectives of the program's students, broadens future employment opportunities to students, and is essential to the future success of the State's agricultural sector; and

 

WHEREAS, the Legislature earnestly desires that the school's agriculture program continue to offer its educational opportunities to students and continue farm operations on the parcels in question; and

 

     WHEREAS, ideally, the Legislature strongly desires that the current landowner execute an agreement with the Department of Education prior to any reclassification or rezoning of land that includes or is adjacent to the land utilized by Kahuku High and Intermediate School for agricultural activities to ensure that these lands may continue to be used for this purpose; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature requests representatives of the current landowner and the Department of Education to develop a mutually agreeable plan that enables the Kahuku High and Intermediate School's agriculture program to continue without interruption; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the current landowner and the Department of Education are strongly urged to execute such an agreement prior to the finalization of any petition to reclassify the land in question by the Land Use Commission; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the current landowner and the Department of Education are strongly urged to execute such an agreement prior to the approval of any request to rezone the land in question by the City and County of Honolulu; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, the Chair and Executive Director of the Land Use Commission, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Chair of the City Council of the City and County of Honolulu, and an agent for Managers Ridge LLC.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Agriculture Program; Kahuku High & Intermediate School