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and health conditions. Major DHHL farm initiatives were outlined in a previous section. In addition, certain positive actions are taking place on Molokai:
- DHHL will initiate a farm development planning effort to compile and analyze data on land characteristics, lessee demographic profiles, infrastructure, water, and marketing and distribution problems and needs. This will form the basis for future action.
- The Molokai Electric Company will pay for cuttings of homestead biomass (e.g., trees, shrubs, grass). Early reports indicate that biomass may realize higher returns than previous pineapple agreements. Concerns that need to be examined are the long-term impact of repeated cuttings on the soil, productive use of fertile agricultural lands, and dependence on one product and one outlet.
- The DHHL technical assistance project has made significant impact on farming activity on Molokai. The project provides on-the-farm consultation, workshops, disease and tissue analysis, and variety trials. The project was recently extended for two more years.
- The new Maui Community College Molokai Farm Project which will offer college coursework, workshops, fieldtrips, and hands-on field experiences will complement the DHHL technical assistance project.
5. Subleasing of Ranch Land=
Finding: The issue of whether native Hawaiian ranchers can award grazing permits to non-native Hawaiians needs to be resolved (page 42).
Comment: The subleasing of ranch land raises basic issues that relate to homestead uses whether residential, farming, ranching, or aquaculture. Is the use of DHHL lands by native Hawaiians to be considered a right or a privilege? If it is a native Hawaiian right, it is questionable whether the DHHL should place unreasonable restrictions on use of the land. The DHHL should not prevent native Hawaiians from using the land to assure his advancement, for example, by seeking third party investors. This may require that the non-alienation clause be re-examined. HHCA provisions should not hamper efforts by native Hawaiians to secure non-governmental assistance, provide workers' quarters on the land, and taking the initiative to operate in the free enterprise system. Unfortunately, there are cases where HHCA provisions have been a deterrent, rather than a positive factor, to providing native Hawaiians with individual control and responsibility over their future.
In the case of sublease ranching agreements, several factors need to be considered. Some lessees have been ranchers for many years. Due to age, these lessees are not fully productive on their own; their children are not interested in continuing the ranch. It is unreasonable to evict these lessees after many years of developing and operating full-scale ranches.
Other lessees have invested heavily into ranching and have failed because of a lack of experience or the inability to leverage needed capital. It is questionable whether eviction
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