The Office of Planning is comprised of professional planners and policy analysts lead by the Director of Planning.  The Director reports to the Governor.  The Office is divided into two divisions, the Land Use Division and the Planning Division.  The Planning Division includes the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program, Special Plans Program, and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program.  The Office is partially funded by state general funds and program specific federal funds.

The Office’s state statutory authority is derived from the following statues:

HRS Chapter 205, Land Use Commission.  The Commission is an independent board of nine members who make quasi-judicial determinations about what lands in the State of Hawaii should be placed into one of the four state land use districts: urban, rural, agricultural, and conservation.  The Office of Planning is required to appear in every case as a party to make recommendations based on the criteria for boundary designations (HRS § 205-17).  The Office also comments on petitions for special use permits and important agricultural lands designations.

HRS Chapter 205A, Coastal Zone Management.  The Office of Planning is the lead agency under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended.  The Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.  Among other things, the CZM Program provides guidance and funding to counties to support their administration of the special management area permitting process, prepares and updates the Ocean Resources Management Plan, administers the Coastal Estuarine and Land Conservation Program, and evaluates federal actions for CZMA consistency.

HRS Chapter 225M, State Planning.  This statute spells out the core functions of the Office of Planning.  The Office is charged by the legislature with eight specific activities: (1) state comprehensive planning and program coordination, (2) strategic planning, (3) planning coordination and cooperation, (4) statewide planning and geographic information system (GIS), (5) land use planning, (6) coastal and ocean policy management, (7) regional planning and studies, and (8) regional, national, and international planning.

HRS Chapter 226, Hawaii State Planning Act.  Under the Act, the Office of Planning is charged with providing technical assistance in administering the Act (HRS § 226-53).  The Hawaii State Planning Act was adopted in 1978 for the following purposes: (1) improve the planning process in the State, (2) increase the effectiveness of government and private actions, (3) improve coordination among different agencies and levels of government, (4) provide for wise use of Hawaii's resources, and (5) guide the future development of the State.  HRS Chapter 226 sets forth the Hawaii state plan, which (1) serves as a guide for the future long-range development of the State; (2) identifies the goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for the State; (3) provides a basis for determining priorities and allocating limited resources, such as public funds, services, human resources, land, energy, water, and other resources; (4) improves coordination of federal, state, and county plans, policies, programs, projects, and regulatory activities; and (5) establishes a system for plan formulation and program coordination to provide for an integration of all major state, and county activities.

Contacts