Section 226-104 - Population growth and land resources priority guidelines(a) Priority guidelines to effect desired statewide growth and distribution: (1) Encourage planning and resource management to insure that population growth rates throughout the State are consistent with available and planned resource capacities and reflect the needs and desires of Hawaii's people.(2) Manage a growth rate for Hawaii's economy that will parallel future employment needs for Hawaii's people.(3) Ensure that adequate support services and facilities are provided to accommodate the desired distribution of future growth throughout the State.(4) Encourage major state and federal investments and services to promote economic development and private investment to the neighbor islands, as appropriate.(5) Explore the possibility of making available urban land, low-interest loans, and housing subsidies to encourage the provision of housing to support selective economic and population growth on the neighbor islands.(6) Seek federal funds and other funding sources outside the State for research, program development, and training to provide future employment opportunities on the neighbor islands.(7) Support the development of high technology parks on the neighbor islands.(b) Priority guidelines for regional growth distribution and land resource utilization: (1) Encourage urban growth primarily to existing urban areas where adequate public facilities are already available or can be provided with reasonable public expenditures, and away from areas where other important benefits are present, such as protection of important agricultural land or preservation of lifestyles.(2) Make available marginal or nonessential agricultural lands for appropriate urban uses while maintaining agricultural lands of importance in the agricultural district.(3) Restrict development when drafting of water would result in exceeding the sustainable yield or in significantly diminishing the recharge capacity of any groundwater area.(4) Encourage restriction of new urban development in areas where water is insufficient from any source for both agricultural and domestic use.(5) In order to preserve green belts, give priority to state capital-improvement funds which encourage location of urban development within existing urban areas except where compelling public interest dictates development of a noncontiguous new urban core.(6) Seek participation from the private sector for the cost of building infrastructure and utilities, and maintaining open spaces.(7) Pursue rehabilitation of appropriate urban areas.(8) Support the redevelopment of Kakaako into a viable residential, industrial, and commercial community.(9) Direct future urban development away from critical environmental areas or impose mitigating measures so that negative impacts on the environment would be minimized.(10) Identify critical environmental areas in Hawaii to include but not be limited to the following: watershed and recharge areas; wildlife habitats (on land and in the ocean); areas with endangered species of plants and wildlife; natural streams and water bodies; scenic and recreational shoreline resources; open space and natural areas; historic and cultural sites; areas particularly sensitive to reduction in water and air quality; and scenic resources.(11) Identify all areas where priority should be given to preserving rural character and lifestyle.(12) Utilize Hawaii's limited land resources wisely, providing adequate land to accommodate projected population and economic growth needs while ensuring the protection of the environment and the availability of the shoreline, conservation lands, and other limited resources for future generations.(13) Protect and enhance Hawaii's shoreline, open spaces, and scenic resources.L 1978, c 100, pt of §2; am L 1984, c 236, §16; am L 1986, c 276, §31