FAQs
Q: HOW DO I SUBMIT AN AGENDA ITEM FOR A BLNR MEETING?
A:
All requests for agenda items must be submitted through the appropriate division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Requests should explain the subject matter and be sent to the appropriate division via email, letter, fax, or phone. Due to internal review procedures and other legal requirements, there can be some delay between the date of the request and the date of the meeting eventually considering the item.
Q: HOW DOES THE SIGN-IN SHEET WORK?
A:
On the day of the BLNR meeting, a sign-in sheet will be provided at a table located just outside the entrance to the Board Room for members of the public who are attending in person to sign in to present oral testimony on a particular agenda item. This sign-in sheet allows the Chair to determine a reasonable order of testifiers and to accommodate special requests for earlier testimony, should that be necessary. The sign-in sheet is removed approximately fifteen (15) minutes prior to the meeting to allow the Chair to re-order the agenda, as needed.
Q: HOW DO I SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY OR PRESENT TESTIMONY BEFORE THE BLNR?
A:
The agenda and the listed submittals will be provided in the Board Packet. This meeting will be held using interactive conference technology under section 92-3.7, Haw. Rev. Stat. (HRS). Board members, staff, applicants, testifiers, and the public can choose to participate in person, online via Zoom, or by telephone. The public may also view the live meeting via its live stream at: Board of Land and Natural Resources DLNR – YouTube
The Chair will call on testifiers to offer testimony at the appropriate time. When testifying, please state your first and last name for the record. If you are testifying on behalf of an organization, please identify the organization as well.
Testimony will be for those testifiers not attending the BLNR meeting in person, please log into the meeting virtually using the Zoom link provided by the BLNR secretary. You will be placed in a Zoom “Waiting Room” until it is your turn to testify. You may monitor the meeting progress on YouTube using the link provided above. While waiting to provide testimony, please MUTE YOUR MICROPHONE and TURN OFF YOUR VIDEO. Just prior to your turn to speak, you will be given full access to the meeting. At that time, if you are watching the YouTube livestream, you will need to TURN OFF the livestream to avoid feedback caused by having the meeting open in both YouTube and Zoom at the same time. When you have finished testifying, you will be put back in the Zoom “Waiting Room.” Please stay there until your agenda item is complete in case the BLNR Members have questions for you.
limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes per person per agenda item.
To Provide Written Testimony
We encourage interested persons to submit written testimony in advance of the meeting, which will be distributed to Board members prior to the meeting and allow a timely review. Please submit written testimony via email to: blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov. Written testimonies can also be mailed to P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, Hawaii 96809. Written testimonies may be posted upon the Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting website; as a precaution, please be mindful with any personal information prior to submitting unless you intend it to be shared.
Late written testimony will be retained as part of the record and distributed to Board members as soon as practicable, but we cannot ensure the Board will receive it in sufficient time to review, prior to decision-making.
To Provide In-Person Oral Testimony (masks are highly encouraged)
Attend in-person at: 1151 Punchbowl St. Room 132 (Kalanimoku Building), Honolulu, Hawaii.
To Provide Testimony by Telephone
On the day of the meeting at the start of the agenda item you wish to testify on, dial 1-719-359-4580 (Zoom); input the meeting ID: and follow the prompts.
To Provide Video/Zoom Testimony
Please send your request in a timely manner to: blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov with your information, email address, and the agenda item you wish to testify on. Once your request has been received, you will receive a confirmation email with pertinent information. You may testify without signing up in advance.
We kindly ask that all oral/video testimony be limited to not more than two (2) minutes. We ask that you identify yourself and any affiliation before speaking, but you can choose not to do so.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please contact, BLNR Secretary, at 808.587.0404 or blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov as soon as possible. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled. Upon request, this agenda and other materials are available in alternate/accessible formats.
Q: WHAT ARE THE PROCEDURES ON THE DAY OF THE BOARD OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES MEETING?
A:
BLNR meetings start at 9:00 AM. Chair will call the meeting to order, read a few preliminary statements, and announce the first agenda item. (Please note that the BLNR may take agenda items in a different order than they are written on the agenda.) When an agenda item is ready to be heard, Chair will first ask department staff to present the agenda item, summarizing the staff submittal. Then the applicant or the applicant’s representative will be given the opportunity to testify. Next, Chair will call on the public who have signed in to testify. Then Chair will ask if there are members of the public who did not sign up who would like to testify. After all members of the public have completed their testimony, Chair will call for a motion from the BLNR Members. If a motion is made and seconded, the BLNR Members may have a discussion on the agenda item before taking a full vote on the motion. After the full vote on the motion has been taken, Chair will call for the next item to be heard.
Q: HOW DO I MAKE A REQUEST FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING?
A:
The Board may go into Executive Session pursuant to section 92-5(a)(4), HRS, in order to consult with its attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Board’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities.
In some of the matters before the Board, a person may wish to request a contested case hearing. If such a request is made before the Board’s decision, then the Board will consider the request first – before considering the merits of the item before it. A person who wants a contested case may also wait until the Board decides the issue, then request the contested case after the decision but before the close of the board meeting. It is up to you. Any request must also be made in writing within ten calendar days. If no request for contested case is made, the Board will make a decision. The Department will treat the decision as final and proceed accordingly.
*For a copy of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, see HAR Title 13 Chapter 1.
**The written petition to request a contested case hearing should be submitted using the following linked form: Contested Case Form.