Key Players In Hawaii Land Issues
Land use decisions are spread among numerous agencies at varying levels of government. Everything starts with the Hawaii Land Use Commission, which in turn delegates power to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the individual county governments. The Hawaii State Legislature decides on changes to the land use laws, and the state government, presided over by the governor, administers the laws. Because land use in Hawaii can be so contentious, many advocacy groups have sprung up to weigh in on statewide issues and local disputes. Occasionally, those disputes will end up in court, where the Hawaii Judiciary upholds the Hawaii Constitution. The most important of these key players, both in government and outside of it, can be found below.
