HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE VISITS HAWAIʻI ISLAND

HAWAIʻI ISLAND  – This past month, members of the House Finance Committee visited Hawaiʻi Island to see firsthand several projects and programs supported by the Legislature. During the visit, committee members met with stakeholders to discuss community needs, assess ongoing initiatives, and identify key priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

The site visits, which took place from December 9 – 11, 2025, provided a glimpse into Hawaiʻi Island's priority items.

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Reef Restoration Program

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa is a West Hawaiʻi-focused coral reef restoration initiative with a mission to restore the reef health along approximately 120-124 miles of coastline. Members of the House Finance Committee had an opportunity to visit their facility and learn how this initiative brings communities together to care for coral reefs through the integration of Hawaiian cultural leadership, science, and education.

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa empowers local communities to steward reef health using tools such as coral nurseries, reef mapping, and water-quality monitoring, in partnership with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Aquatic Resources, to support long-term restoration and care across West Hawaiʻi’s coastal areas and state parks.

Hulihe‘e Palace

House Finance Committee members were led on a tour of Huliheʻe Palace by the Daughters of Hawaii President Manu Powers and learned about the facility improvement needs required to carefully preserve this historic site.

Administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks and stewarded by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, Huliheʻe palace was originally built in the nineteenth century by High Chief John Adams Kuakini, Governor of the island of Hawaiʻi. Constructed of lava rock and home to koa wood furnishings, royal portraits, featherwork, tapa, quilts, and other artifacts, Huliheʻe Palace preserves Hawaiʻi’s royal legacy and remains a vital cultural resource for the community.

South Kohala District Court

The South Kohala District Court is part of the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Third Circuit and is currently housed in a single-story, approximately 3,000-square-foot facility built in 1982 at the Waimea Civic Center in Kamuela. As North Hawaiʻi’s population has grown significantly since the courthouse was constructed, the Judiciary has identified major physical and operational limitations and submitted a Master Development Plan to the Legislature for a new, upgraded courthouse near the existing site.

During the 2025 legislative session, the Legislature appropriated funds for the design of a new South Kohala Courthouse, which would improve access to civil, criminal, and family court services and better serve the needs of the North Hawaiʻi community.

University of Hawaiʻi Hilo Farm

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Agricultural Farm Laboratory is a 110-acre facility located in Panaʻewa, south of Hilo, that provides hands-on learning opportunities for students in the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management by integrating classroom instruction with real-world agricultural practice. The farm includes an experimental tropical hardwood plantation, apiary, agriculture–aquaculture systems, greenhouse, and hydroponic facilities.

A $509,000 state capital improvement project is currently underway to design and develop critical infrastructure improvements, including a new well, pump, and water distribution system, as well as a modern compost facility, equine pasture, equestrian and rodeo arena, and equine surgery facility, strengthening the farm’s capacity to support education, research, and community-based agriculture.

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Cathy S . Lee

Director of Communications

Hawaiʻi House of Representatives

hmcommunications@capitol.hawaii.gov