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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:36 p.m., Monday, February 11, 2008

OHA, state set public meetings on ceded lands pact

Advertiser Staff

Public meetings will be held beginning Wednesday to discuss terms and conditions of a proposed $200 million ceded lands settlement between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the state of Hawai'i.

The meetings are being held by OHA and the state attorney general.

The settlement, signed Jan. 17, addresses how much OHA is owed by the state from revenues generated from public lands turned over to the United States by the Republic of Hawai'i in 1898.

The $200 million settlement calls for the transfer of three large parcels of land to OHA along with $13 million cash. Additionally, OHA would continue to receive $15.1 million annually from state coffers.

The settlement must be approved by the Legislature, and some legislators have expressed reservations about some of its terms.

Comments and recommended improvements to the settlement will be collected from the public meetings and included in a report to the Legislature.

The settlement requires that both the Executive Branch and OHA agree to any changes proposed by the Legislature.

The meetings are all at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. They are:

Wednesday: Waimanalo Public & School Library, 41-1320 Kalaniana'ole Highway;

Friday: Pearl City High School;

Saturday: Ma'ili Elementary School, 10 a.m.

Monday: Kulana 'Oiwi on Moloka'i.