REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO COLLABORATE TO ESTABLISH A FORMAL, LONG-TERM COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM TO EXPAND, EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE, AND SUSTAIN TREE-CANOPY COVERAGE ACROSS PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATE WIDE.

This bill requests the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Education to work together on a permanent program to increase tree coverage at public schools across the state. The initiative aims to address heat exposure and improve outdoor learning opportunities, with special attention to ensuring equitable tree distribution in lower-income and Title I schools that currently have less shade. The program would include long-term tree maintenance, strategic species selection, and the creation of dedicated staff positions to sustain the effort. It builds on existing pilot programs like Shade Trees for Schools and Fruit Trees for Schools, which have shown positive results but have been limited by short-term funding.