The Public Land Development Corporation has raised concerns among environmental and Native Hawaiian groups on Oahu since its inception last year. 

And it’s not proving to be a better sell on the neighbor islands, according to Big Island news reports. 

The agency, which is intended to act as a development arm of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, began holding public meetings this week on the neighbor islands about the rules proposed to govern its operations. 

But apparently PLDC staff didn’t receive a warm welcome in Hilo: 

From Big Island Now: 

The testimony was often emotional, with much of it highly critical of the PLDC’s authority to bypass county zoning and other land-use requirements.

At one point the corporation was compared to Nazis.

“Shame on you,” said one man testifying, eliciting more cries of “shame” from the audience.

“How stupid do you think the people of Hawaii are that they would accept this dog-and-pony show?” said Ike Payne. He predicted that the DLNR would hear no supporting testimony as it holds hearings across the state.

Read the full account here.

Members of the PLDC have worked to dispel concerns that the agency would open the floodgates to unbridled development and stressed the benefits of forging public-private partnerships to develop state lands. 

Here is the schedule for the remainder of the meetings, which will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 pm.: 

KONA: Tuesday, August 21,  at Konawaena High School Cafeteria, 81-1043 Konawaena School Rd., Kealakekua, HI 96750; 

MAUI: Friday, August 24, at Maui Waena Intermediate School Cafeteria, 795 Onehe‘e St., Kahului, HI 96732; 

MOLOKA‘I: Monday, August 27, at Mitchell Pau‘ole Community Center, 90 Ainoa St., Kaunakakai, HI 96748; 

O‘AHU: Wednesday, August 29, at Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, Kalanimoku Building, Land Board Conference Room132, 1151 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813; and 

KAUA‘I: Friday, August 31, at Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School, 4319 Hardy St., Lihu‘e, HI 96766.