Posted on: Saturday, February 12, 2005
DLNR loses another deputy
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The latest of a series of top-level resignations at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is leading lawmakers to press for a performance audit of the department and has left some environmentalists convinced that the agency is not fulfilling its mission.
Yvonne Izu, deputy director for the commission on water resource management, said she resigned at the end of the day Wednesday because the department supports shifting water-management duties to the counties.
Izu said in a telephone interview yesterday that the department director, Peter Young, had asked her and commission staff to testify in favor of SB 503 that would enable transferring to the counties most functions now shouldered by the commission. The bill was introduced by Republican Sens. Fred Hemmings, Bob Hogue, Gordon Trimble, Sam Slom and Paul Whalen and supported by the Lingle administration.
Young said the bill promotes "more streamlined government" and said Izu misinterpreted the measure as something that would dismantle the commission.
"Clearly Yvonne misunderstood what the bill was doing," Young said. "It did not state that the commission was being eliminated."
The bill, which has not been scheduled for a hearing, calls for a vote on a constitutional amendment to make "setting overall water conservation, quality and use policies" a duty of the counties.
Recent departures
Young also said that the water bill, as well as a separate initiative to recast the state Land Use Commission as an advisory body only, is consistent with long-standing policies of the Lingle administration to pare down government.
Hemmings agreed. "The counties, clearly, are the level of government that should be administering decisions of land and water use," he said.
The divisions of the department manage the state's land, aquatic, historic, forestry, wildlife and recreational resources. The department employs about 660 people, and has an annual budget of almost $73 million.
Izu is the latest of the department officials to leave in recent months. With her resignation, the department is without both its deputies and the heads of two divisions.
The department's other deputy, Dan Davidson, left at the end of November to take a post at Aina Nui Corp., a property development subsidiary for the Campbell Estate. Dede Mamiya, the land division administrator, left her post at the end of last month. She could not be reached yesterday to discuss why she left.
Other recent departures have included Michael Buck, administrator for forestry and wildlife, who retired at the end of June.
State Rep. Brian Schatz, vice chair of the House water, land and ocean resources committee, said he planned to introduce a resolution early next week seeking a performance audit of DLNR, because of all the turnover and what he called "a widespread belief that the department is not being well managed."
The resolution would ask the state auditor to review the effectiveness of the agency in meeting its objectives. Within DLNR, the burials program and the State Historic Preservation Division both have drawn fire in previous performance audits.
"If there is going to be an evaluation, we will cooperate with them," Young said.
Izu said that she and Young have had "differences in style" for some time but that her sudden resignation was spurred by their differences over the water management bill. She said she could not testify for the idea because the counties are not positioned to manage water resources.
"Based on our experiences with the counties, I'm not sure they're prepared to take up that function," she added. "Inherently they have a conflict of interest. County water boards are developers and purveyors of water. We think it's difficult, if not impossible, to be both the regulators and the purveyors."
Young countered that the Lingle administration consistently has opposed having agencies at both state and county levels performing similar functions and said consolidating water management at the county level would create a "more efficient water system."
Lingering concerns
He also said the vacancies are not a problem, and he has interviewed potential replacements for Davidson and has an acting deputy, Dean Nakano, in place for Izu.
Izu had served in her DLNR post since May 2004, and had served as its deputy attorney general before accepting the administrative position.
Hawai'i environmental groups expressed concern over her departure.
"Her resignation is like the end of a whole bunch of resignations," said Henry Curtis, executive director of Life of the Land. "We don't give them (the DLNR) enough money, and Peter Young is dismantling the organization."
In addition to the "lack of leadership," Jeff Mikulina, Sierra Club Hawai'i chapter director, objected to the department pursuing policies that diminish its own oversight of natural resources.
"She (Izu) was being asked to undermine the laws they are constitutionally obliged to uphold," he said.
Hemmings, however, said Izu's disagreement with Young and the Lingle administration shows how a "fourth branch of government" has been established in the state bureaucracy, partly as a result of years of Democratic control. "The department bureaucrats are not supposed to make decisions," he said. "They're supposed to follow the lead of the governor."
Staff writer Gordon Pang contributed to this report. Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
