BOARD APPROVES FINAL TRANSFER OF STATE-OWNED LANDS TO DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS
News Release from Board of Land and Natural Resources Nov 13, 2026
HONOLULU – Today, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted to authorize the transfer of 318.25 acres of state lands in the Waiākea area of Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). The transfer is part of a joint effort between DLNR and DHHL leadership, with the support of Governor Josh Green, to resolve claims between DHHL and the state of Hawaiʻi relating to the use or alienation of Hawaiian home lands between August 21, 1959 and July 1, 1988.
Conveyance of the final parcel is still subject to approval by the Hawaiian Homes Commission, a nine-member board that governs DHHL. If approved, the total acreage conveyed would exceed the outstanding balance owed to DHHL.
“Today’s decision by the BLNR represents another important step toward honoring the state’s commitments to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Governor Josh Green. “The transfer of these lands will provide opportunities for Native Hawaiian families to establish homes and communities for themselves today and preserve their cultural heritage for future generations.”
“This has been a long time coming,” said BLNR Chairperson Ryan Kanakaʻole. “For more than 30 years, the state has had an obligation to make good on its commitment to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The conveyance of this final parcel will constitute full and final satisfaction of the land transfer authorized by the BLNR in 1994, and the fulfillment of Act 14, First Special Session Acts, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 1995. The Department of Land and Natural Resources is committed to working with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to see this matter to completion.”
On October 28, 1994, the BLNR authorized the identification and transfer of approximately 16,518 acres of state-owned lands to DHHL to make the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust whole. Act 14, First Special Session Acts, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 1995, was passed by the state Legislature to fully effectuate the settlement of claims between DHHL and the state of Hawaiʻi, including the transfer of specific lands to DHHL to resolve claims relating to the use or alienation of Hawaiian home lands.
Over the last several years, DLNR staff have worked with DHHL to identify lands for conveyance in fulfillment of Act 14. On August 14, 2026, the BLNR approved the conveyance of eight parcels totaling approximately 334 acres to DHHL. This approval reduced the outstanding balance owed to DHHL from approximately 619.25 acres to 285.25 acres. Transfer of the Waiākea land in Hilo would provide DHHL with 33 additional acres.
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RESOURCES
(All images courtesy: DLNR)
Photographs – Satellite images of the parcel approved for transfer from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands on November 13, 2026:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0ayhg5wmqqslwwrbonobw/AHhtcTj4KmFT985AyAAMaH0?rlkey=lchi29bld9d6zm09ilgaa9wh4&st=xggkkc84&dl=0
Photographs – Satellite images of parcels approved for transfer from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands on August 14, 2026:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/508n9ly5q90c8tmpx744r/AAKvaKW0lPSTQgOBfBORCRk?rlkey=lpqr4tg3bgrpgqcypl9spoeui&st=ft1b22w4&dl=0
8/14/26 – LAND BOARD AUTHORIZES TRANSFER OF MORE THAN 300 ACRES TO DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2026/08/14/nr26-98/
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LAND BOARD AUTHORIZES TRANSFER OF MORE THAN 300 ACRES TO DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS
News Release from BLNR, Aug 14, 2026
HONOLULU – The State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) today authorized the transfer of more than 300 acres of state-owned lands in the Waiākea area of Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island, from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL).
“The BLNR did Hawaiʻi proud today by approving this significant land transfer,” said Governor Josh Green. “Getting Native Hawaiian beneficiaries onto the land has been a top priority of my administration. We awarded more than 2,500 leases in 2025 and are on track to award approximately 3,000 this year, the most in state history. This transfer builds on that progress and brings us closer to helping even more beneficiaries turn their awards into homes, working farms and thriving communities.”
“Today’s action by the BLNR represents a significant milestone toward full satisfaction of the transfers required under Act 14, First Special Session Acts, passed by the State Legislature in 1995,” said BLNR Chairperson Ryan Kanakaʻole. “The parcels approved for transfer will provide meaningful opportunities for both homesteading and revenue generation, further supporting DHHL’s mission to provide for the economic self-sufficiency of native Hawaiians.”
Act 14 was adopted to compensate DHHL for the state’s use of DHHL trust lands between August 21, 1959, and July 1, 1988. Since its enactment, DLNR and DHHL have collaborated to fully implement the intent of Act 14.
The eight parcels identified under today’s transfer consist of two commercial-zoned parcels appropriate for revenue-generating industrial/commercial development, as well as six parcels in the Hilo town core suited to connected residential and agricultural homestead development.
Next steps are for DHHL to conduct due diligence evaluations of the parcels to determine the extent to which they satisfy or otherwise meet the needs of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. Evaluation efforts will include title, environmental, cultural and infrastructure assessments.
DLNR and DHHL will continue to work toward consensus on the conveyance of these lands and any subsequent Act 14 requirements.
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RESOURCES
(All images courtesy: DLNR)
Photographs – Satellite images of parcels transferred
SA: Hawaii DLNR to provide more land for Hawaiian homesteads | Honolulu Star-Advertiser