Senate committee defers bill to transfer stewardship of Mauna ʻAla to OHA as funding, oversight questions remain

A Senate joint committee on Hawaiian Affairs and Water and Land on Tuesday deferred Senate Bill 4, a proposal to transfer stewardship of the Royal Mausoleum, Mauna ʻAla, from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, saying more discussion and due diligence are needed.

The committee heard nearly an hour of testimony from state officials, family descendants, cultural organizations and others who disagreed about whether the transfer would improve cultural stewardship and whether state funding should follow the kuleana. The chairs said the hearing revealed unresolved questions about funding, management responsibilities and trust relationships that require further negotiation.

“Over the last several months, we have been working with OHA, and we want them to be successful. We have agreed to transfer certain lands to them subject to their due diligence, including Kahana Valley and a parcel in Waimanalo,” Dawn Chang, chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources board, told the committee, according to submitted and oral testimony. Chang said DLNR supports continued engagement and…