HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. NO.
31
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING 2026 as THE international year of rangelands and pastoralists in hawaii.
WHEREAS, rangelands are natural ecosystems in which the indigenous vegetation is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs, and rangelands cover up to 19,800,000,000 acres of land globally, covering fifty-four percent of the terrestrial surface; and
WHEREAS, rangelands include prairies, grasslands, pampas, shrublands, wetlands, woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, steppes, and tundra; and
WHEREAS, rangelands are economically, socially, and culturally vital to human communities through an array of ecological services, including food and fiber production, water resources, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration and storage, and provide renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and aesthetic and recreational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, over twenty-five percent, or over 1,000,000 acres, of Hawaii's land mass is classified as rangelands; and
WHEREAS, the State's rangelands are ecologically, economically, and culturally vital to all communities of the State because of the ecosystem services they provide through food and fiber production, soils stabilization, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, and clean water; livestock ranchers they support, and rich Paniolo traditions they help perpetuate; and
WHEREAS, pastoralists are people who raise livestock or semi-domesticated animals on rangelands, including ranchers, nomads, and transhumant herders; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii ranchers raise livestock on over 750,000 acres of rangelands and contribute over $50,000,000 annually to the state economy; and
WHEREAS, pastoralists have stewarded rangelands for millennia through deep knowledge and connections with the land; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii ranchers are acknowledged as critical stewards of the State's rangelands; and
WHEREAS, pastoralism exists in some form across six continents and a multitude of cultures; and
WHEREAS, shared experiences of land, livestock, and stewardship connect pastoralists around the world through historical knowledge and integration of innovative technologies toward sustainable rangelands; and
WHEREAS, the United Nations, in recognition of the vital nature of rangelands and the significance of pastoralism to the stewardship and societal benefits of rangelands, designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists; and
WHEREAS, national, regional, provincial, and local governments around the world will celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026 through education, advertisements, film, and adoption of national and local policies that are supportive of rangelands and pastoralists; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that 2026 is recognized as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in Hawaii, in solidarity with the United Nations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body:
(1) Recognizes the economic, social, and ecological importance of rangelands and the ranchers, farmers, land managers, and partners who have been caretakers of Hawaii's rangelands for generations;
(2) Encourages state agencies, the University of Hawaii, and organizations across the State to engage in activities that promote education, research, and outreach related to rangeland management; and
(3) Recommends the adoption of policies that will further conserve rangelands and protect the livelihoods of Hawaii's ranchers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity; President of the University of Hawaii; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; and Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.
OFFERED BY:
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Report Title:
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists