How to Apply
How to Apply (UPDATED April 9, 2025)
NEXT APPLICATION CYCLE FOR LAND ACQUISITION GRANTS OPENS LATER THIS YEAR
SAMPLE APPLICATION FORMS AVAILABLE AT FORMS PAGE.
Please contact the program office for assistance at 808.586.0921 || legacyland@hawaii.gov
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Responses to general inquiries:
The State Legacy Land Conservation Program provides grants to State agencies, counties, and nonprofit land conservation organizations for acquiring interests in land that will be managed to provide conservation benefits.
Our volunteers that serve on the Legacy Land Conservation Commission review and rank the applications, and issue a recommendation to the State Board of Land and Natural Resources, which then approves specific grants for specific amounts of funding.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Q1: Is there some specific requirement that defines a non-profit as a “land conservation” non-profit? Or is any non-profit eligible if it will be acquiring the land for land conservation purposes?
A1: The grant application calls for a nonprofit mission statement and IRS documentation, and an organization’s fulfillment of the grant eligibility requirements may be considered by the Legacy Land Conservation Commission in its application review and recommendation process. Section 13-140-2, Hawaii Administrative Rules provides a definition:
“Nonprofit land conservation organization” means an organization that protects “resource value” as defined herein or “land having value as a resource to the State” as defined under section 173A-2, HRS, as part of its activities or mission and has been determined and designated to be a nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
“Resource value” means watershed, coastal area, beach, ocean access, habitat, cultural site, historic site, recreational, public hunting, park, natural area, agricultural production, open space, and scenic characteristics or benefits.
Q2: … curious how other organizations go about securing the land … is it typically land that they hold long-term leases with under a private landowner, and the grant fund “buys out” the private landowner? Or are they acquiring lands that are on the real estate market? What about acquiring ADC lands? Is that ever done on under this program?
A2: Landowner buyout by a lessee isn’t a typical scenario but it’s possible, as long as the buyer is an eligible applicant. Acquiring land listed on the open market is a common scenario, however the applicant or a partnering land trust may have established seller connections/commitments to complete a conservation transaction rather than an open market transaction. In some cases an insider deal or a fat cash offer has derailed the planned conservation transaction.
ADC (Agribusiness Development Corporation) has used the program to acquire interests in land (a conservation easement over property owned by Hawaii Agricultural Research Center). If ADC is authorized to sell its land, then perhaps ADC land could be acquired by an eligible buyer with a grant from the Land Conservation Fund, although that would be a case of first impression that would probably call for State legal review.
Q3: . . . noticed there are options on Form 5 to include more than one parcel. Do these properties need to be contiguous? Or can I apply to acquire one parcel in location X and another one in location Y with the same intent to conserve/reforest/restore, etc.?
A3: The properties don’t need to be contiguous. If a single seller owns all the properties, that would be less complex and easier to process, administratively and contractually, than multiple properties under different ownership. Applicant decides on application strategy, we don’t advise on that, a single application or multiple applications is up to you. The Legacy Land Conservation Commission reviews and ranks each application separately, although relationships between different applications may influence the outcome of that process.
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Steps in the grant application/funding cycle:
1. Submit Agency Consultation Request Form, with Maps and Photos attached
2. Staff Consultation with Applicants
3. Receive responses from consulting agencies
4. Submit final/complete application
5. Legacy Land Conservation Commission (“LLCC”) Organizational Meeting to establish Permitted Interaction Groups for investigating the grant applications, including Field Visits
6. LLCC investigations, including field visits with applicants and landowners
7. Due date for Supplemental Application Materials (per staff and LLCC requests)
8. LLCC public meetings for:
(1) Reporting by LLCC Permitted Interaction Groups, and
(2) Review, Ranking, and Recommendations for grant applications
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9. Legislative consultation about grant applications
10. Board of Land and Natural Resources approval for grant awards
11. Governor’s approval for grant awards
12. Encumber funds for approved grant awards
13. Grant funds are available for expenditure after all transactional due diligence is reviewed, accepted, and approved.
For assistance, please contact the Program office at (808) 586-0921.