Survey aims to identify regulatory obstacles to land stewardship in Hawaiʻi

ʻĀina Momona, a Native Hawaiian organization focused on Indigenous stewardship and environmental justice, is calling on Hawaiian-serving organizations statewide to participate in a survey on regulatory barriers and support needs for land-based work.

Complete the survey here: https://bit.ly/aina2025 

The 10- to 15-minute survey aims to gather feedback from groups involved in conservation, agriculture, cultural preservation and Indigenous land management.

Responses will inform future programming, policy recommendations and cohort-building initiatives such as peer learning networks and technical support partnerships. Respondents may also choose to opt into follow-up opportunities.

“We know that many of our people are doing incredible work to care for our ʻāina, but are being delayed or discouraged by regulatory systems not built with our practices in mind,” said Kalaniua Ritte, ‘Āina Momona’s executive director. “Your manaʻo will help us build a foundation for advocacy, funding and capacity-building across the islands.”

The survey gathers confidential information about:

• Land tenure and access agreements
• Experiences with state, county, and federal permitting
• Common regulatory barriers (e.g., CDUPs, SMAs, EAs/EIS, HRS 6E)
• Capacity and staffing challenges
• Desired training, resources, or technical assistance

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, July 18, 2025.

For more information, contact ainamomona1893@gmail.com or visit kaainamomona.org.