Board of Agriculture approves transfer of two DLNR encumbrances to the Department of Agriculture
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Summary
The State of Hawaii Board of Agriculture approved HDOA’s request to accept two encumbrances on public land from the Department of Land and Natural Resources under Chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The board also approved routine minutes from its March 25 meeting; one member recused from that vote.
The State of Hawaii Board of Agriculture voted to approve the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s request to accept two encumbrances on public lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, board Chair Sharon Hurd said during the meeting.
The authorization followed a staff presentation by Brandy Ayo, property manager with the Agricultural Resource Management Division on the Big Island, who told the board staff had reviewed the proposed encumbrances and recommended approval under the requirements of Act 90, SLH 2003, codified as Chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The transfer request referenced TMK numbers read in the meeting as 4-4-5-015-010-028-029 (staff noted a possible typo in the transcript reading).
The action matters because transfers under Chapter 166E require the Board of Agriculture’s mutual approval of selected encumbrances before ownership or management changes can proceed. Board members asked clarifying questions about surrounding state parcels and whether adjacent lands also belonged to the Department of Land and Natural Resources; staff said they did not have complete information on neighboring parcels’ eligibility for transfer and would follow up.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes from March 25, 2025 — Motion carried; Fred recused. Motion: approve the minutes. Moved by James “Jimmy” Gulls; second by Diane Lay. Board reported six affirmative votes and one recusal.
- Approval — Transfer of two encumbrances from DLNR to HDOA — Motion carried. Motion: approve transfer of the two encumbrances identified by staff. Moved by James “Jimmy” Gulls; second by Fred (second reported). The chair called for objections or recusals; hearing none, the motion was approved.
Board discussion and follow-up
During discussion, board member James “Jimmy” Gulls asked whether surrounding state parcels shown on the map were DLNR properties and whether those might also be eligible for transfer. Brandy Ayo said she believed some adjacent parcels were DLNR-managed but did not have information on their eligibility for transfer and that staff would follow up.
Chair Hurd also announced that Kauai board member Greg Powell would not represent the county at future meetings because he had relocated, and later the board recognized Fred’s resignation as he no longer resides on the island he represented.
The board took no additional substantive actions on the item at the meeting. Staff will provide follow-up information on the ownership and eligibility of adjacent parcels as requested by board members.
