HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
74 |
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
requesting the department of land and natural resources to conduct an independent appraisal of molokai properties limited landholdings on the island of molokai.
WHEREAS, Molokai Properties Limited (MPL) is owned by a foreign company, GuocoLeisure Limited, based in Singapore; and
WHEREAS, in April 2008, MPL shut down all of its business operations on Molokai; and
WHEREAS, under orders by the Department of Health, MPL was required to continue to provide water and sewer services; and
WHEREAS, MPL has not made any commitment to continue to provide water and sewer services and the County of Maui has been forced to commence litigation against MPL to enforce contracts to operate and maintain water and wastewater systems for the protection of the health and safety of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, MPL owns over 60,000 acres of land, approximately one-third of the land on the island of Molokai; and
WHEREAS, MPL has engaged in land use practices that have substantially contributed to the loss of rainforests on its properties and to the increase of erosion, which depletes the quality of soil on the land and harms the marine ecosystems along Molokai's coastline; and
WHEREAS, MPL is now denying access to most of its landholdings to Molokai residents who relied on those lands for gathering, hunting, and fishing; and
WHEREAS, MPL lands contain numerous wahi pana (places of historical and cultural value), including heiau and ceremonial sites, ancient taro loi, and loko ia (ancient Hawaiian fishponds); and
WHEREAS, to protect and preserve Hawaii's historic and cultural heritage, a number of private entities have recently expressed interest in acquiring all or parts of MPL's landholdings; and
WHEREAS, to negotiate the purchase of any of MPL's landholdings or to advance any other options or alternatives with regard to these properties, it is necessary to ascertain its value; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to conduct an independent appraisal of MPL's landholdings on the island of Molokai; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the appraisal shall be based on the land classification set by the County of Maui as of January 1, 2009; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Molokai Properties Limited; Independent Appraisal; DLNR