Urging The Division Of State Parks Of The Department Of Land And Natural Resources To Convene A Task Force To Improve State Parks, And To Develop Appropriate Branding And Narratives For Parks, Landmarks, And Other Significant Places Throughout The State.
SCR103 is a concurrent resolution urging the Division of State Parks within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a task force focused on improving Hawaii’s state parks and developing appropriate branding and narratives for parks, landmarks, and other significant places across the state. The resolution frames parks and public lands as important to Hawaii’s identity, history, culture, economy, and visitor experience, and it points to national parks and other public agencies as examples of strong infrastructure, interpretive storytelling, and recognizable branding.
The task force is asked to study best practices for park infrastructure, landscaping, amenities, and visitor services, and to examine how branding, merchandise, storytelling, and retail strategies could generate revenue to support maintenance, preservation, education, and visitor services. It is also directed to ensure that any art, branding, and narratives are culturally respectful and accurately reflect the heritage, historical significance, environmental character, and community identity of the places represented. The task force would include state officials, tourism and design representatives, a cultural advisor, and legislative members, and would report findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2027 session.
SCR103 does not directly amend state law or create new statutory requirements; instead, it expresses legislative intent and urges administrative action by DLNR’s Division of State Parks. Its practical effect would be to create a multi-agency task force and generate recommendations that could later lead to legislation, administrative changes, or program development related to park management, branding, and revenue generation. The resolution could affect state parks operations, tourism-related outreach, cultural interpretation, and future appropriations or commercialization strategies if its recommendations are adopted.
The overall sentiment appears supportive and aspirational. The resolution emphasizes stewardship, quality, visitor experience, cultural respect, and the goal of making Hawaii’s state parks among the finest in the nation. The committee vote provided shows unanimous approval in the Senate Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee, with 4 yeas and 0 nays, and the bill was passed with amendments, suggesting broad agreement on the general concept while still refining the proposal.
The main points of potential contention are not about whether parks should be improved, but about how branding and revenue generation should be pursued. The resolution’s references to monetized branding, merchandise, and retail strategies may raise concerns about commercialization of public lands, while its requirement that branding and narratives be culturally appropriate suggests sensitivity to concerns about misrepresentation or misuse of cultural heritage. Any debate would likely center on balancing tourism and revenue goals with preservation, public access, and respectful treatment of Hawaiian history and place-based identity.