# What This Bill Does

This bill asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study whether Hawaii should have its own national forest. Right now, Hawaii doesn't have any land designated as part of the National Forest System, even though the mainland has 154 national forests. This bill is essentially saying: "Let's figure out if that should change and what it would look like."

The study would look at six Hawaiian islands—Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai—to see which areas might work as a national forest and could be protected that way. The researchers would need to talk to Hawaii's state government, local agriculture officials, landowners, and community groups to understand what people think about the idea. They'd also look at practical questions like whether landowners would be willing to sell their property to the federal government, how much it would cost, and whether a national forest would actually help protect Hawaii's unique plants and forests better than current protections.

The bill doesn't actually create a national forest or take any action on the land itself. It's purely a research project. The Agriculture Department would have three years to complete the study and report back to Congress with their findings and recommendations. At that point, Congress would decide whether to actually move forward with establishing a national forest in Hawaii. For most people in Hawaii, this bill means nothing changes immediately—it's just the first step in exploring whether this idea is worth pursuing.

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the establishment of, and the potential land that could be included in, a unit of the National Forest System in the State of Hawaii, and for other purposes.

Case, Ed

 <p>This bill directs the Forest Service to conduct a study to (1) determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the National Forest System in the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai in the state of Hawaii; and (2) identify available land within the study area that could be included in such unit.</p>