Gov. David Ige’s selection of Castle & Cooke executive Carleton Ching to serve as chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources is drawing mixed reviews from those who’ve dealt with him.
The board chairman’s job carries the dual role of director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which manages the largest land inventory in Hawaii and is also responsible for a host of other functions from hunting and fishing management to maintaining the land transaction documents under the Bureau of Conveyances.
Ching, in a news release issued Friday, called it "humbling to be asked to protect Hawaii’s natural, cultural and historic resources," and he pledged to "leave Hawaii a better place" for his children and grandchildren.
Ching is currently Castle & Cooke’s vice president for community and government relations. As such, he was a key player in the development of the land company’s controversial Koa Ridge project between Waipahu and Mililani. The project received rezoning approval to build 3,500 homes from the Honolulu City Council in late 2013 despite concerns about traffic and the loss of agricultural lands.
The Sierra Club of Hawaii, which is still fighting the Koa Ridge project in the courts, said it has "grave concerns" about Ching’s nomination.
"As far as we can tell, Mr. Ching has no professional experience protecting Hawaii’s natural resources," Sierra Club spokesman Anthony Aalto said. "He seems to care more about concrete than conservation."
Aalto pointed to a 2005 Honolulu Advertiser article that quoted Ching, among other developer representatives, testifying in favor of eliminating the state Land Use Commission.
After being asked at a state Senate hearing how long it should take to approve a housing development, Ching deadpanned, "Just sign a document and tell us go."
But Mililani Neighborhood Board Chairman Dick Poirier, another opponent of Koa Ridge, said he’s OK with Ching and isn’t worried that he will promote only developers’ interests, despite his background.
"While Neighborhood Board 25 may have disagreed with him on the optimal future development of Central Oahu, we found him to be highly professional, always courteous and most helpful in responding to our questions and concerns," Poirier said.
"This guy wasn’t like some of the others," he said. "He didn’t hide; he didn’t play games."
Poirier said he got to know the nominee and learned that Ching worked on Castle & Cooke’s development of solar and wind projects on Lanai and its efforts to transport the power to the other islands.
"He was involved with more the natural-resources side of Castle & Cooke," Poirier said.
Retired Kapolei Development Co. executive Dave Rae shared many of the same duties and roles as Ching with his company and said he has known the nominee for 30 years and considers him a friend.
"I find him to be perceptive, honorable, articulate and straightforward," Rae said. "There’s no hidden agenda."
Despite what environmental interests might say, "just because he worked for a developer doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy," Rae said.
Ige, in a news release, said "stewardship of Hawaii’s unique resources is one of the most critical tasks of the state government and Ching has the heart, knowledge and skills" to lead the department.
A Kaimuki High School graduate, Ching received a business administration degree from Boise State University, where also played left tackle for the Broncos’ football team.
He spent a decade at the Hawaii Housing Authority where he worked on building affordable homes.
While with the authority, Ige’s news release said, Ching was credited with brokering a compromise in the dispute between the Waiahole-Waikane Community Association and the state.
He has also worked with Westloch Inc., Castle & Cooke Kunia, Molokai Ranch and SSFM International.
Named as first deputy DLNR director was Kekoa Kaluhiwa, who heads Kuano‘o Communications, a Kaneohe-based firm that "helps clients understand the unique cultural and environmental challenges of doing business in Hawaii," Ige’s office said.
Both nominations must be confirmed by the state Senate.
William Aila, Land Board chairman under former Gov. Neil Abercrombie, left the post at the end of 2014 after he was named by Ige to be deputy director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
