Members of state House Finance Committee visit Big Island, visit several projects, programs

Members of the state House Finance Committee visited Hawaiʻi Island earlier this month to see firsthand several projects and programs supported by Hawaiʻi Legislature.

Committee members met with stakeholders to discuss community needs, assess ongoing initiatives and identify key priorities for the upcoming 2026 legislative session.

The site visits from Dec. 9-11 provided a glimpse into Hawaiʻi Island’s priority items.

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Reef Restoration Program

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa is a West Hawaiʻi-focused coral reef restoration initiative aimed at restoring the reef health along between about 120 to 124 miles of coastline.

Committee members visited the facility and learned how the 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 Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources — to support long-term restoration and care throughout West Hawaiʻi’s coastal areas and state parks.

Hulihe‘e Palace

Committee members toured Huliheʻe Palace accompanied by Daughters of Hawai‘i President Manu Powers and learned about the facility improvement needs required to carefully preserve this historic site.

Huliheʻe Palace was originally built in the 19th century by governor of Hawaiʻi Island High Chief John Adams Kuakini. It is administered by Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks and stewarded by Daughters of Hawaiʻi,

Huliheʻe Palace — constructed of lava rock and home to koa wood furnishings, royal portraits, featherwork, tapa, quilts and other artifacts — preserves Hawaiʻi’s royal legacy and remains a vital cultural resource for the community.

South Kohala District Court

South Kohala District Court is part of the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s 3rd Circuit and housed in a single-story, about 3,000-square-foot facility built in 1982 at the Waimea Civic Center in Waimea.

Hawaiʻi Judiciary identified major physical and operational limitations — as North Hawaiʻi’s population has grown significantly since the courthouse was constructed — and submitted a master development plan to Hawaiʻi Legislature for a new, upgraded courthouse near the existing site.

Lawmakers appropriated funds during their 2025 session 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 at Hilo Farm

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Agricultural Farm Laboratory is a 110-acre facility located in Panaʻewa, south of Hilo, providing hands-on learning opportunities for students in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management.

It integrates classroom instruction with real-world agricultural practice, including an experimental tropical hardwood plantation, apiary, agriculture–aquaculture systems, greenhouse and hydroponic facilities.

A $509,000 state capital improvement project is 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.