Testifying under subpoena, several current and former workers at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources told the state Senate yesterday of dysfunction within the boating and historic preservation divisions, but the criticism did not appear to be particularly damaging to Peter Young, the department's director.

The state Senate Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee held its second confirmation hearing on Young yesterday, after listening to mostly positive reviews of the director from environmentalists and Native Hawaiians on Wednesday.

Employees in the boating and ocean recreation division claim Young raided the boating special fund, shifting money that could have been used to repair boating facilities toward the department's conservation and resources enforcement division. Some also claimed the department has lost federal boating safety grant money because it failed to document marine patrols. "I think there is a problem with transparency and accountability," said Kevin Yim, the department's boating staff officer.

Employees in the historic preservation division, backing up claims made on Wednesday by private archaeologists, said persistent staff vacancies and mismanagement had hampered the protection of burial sites.

The testimony pointed to problems that in some instances predated Young's tenure as director, such as the use of the boating money, or focused more on management issues involving Young's deputies.

State Sen. Russell Kokubun, D-2nd (S. Hilo, Puna, Ka'u), the committee's chairman, said Young is ultimately responsible. "The buck stops at some point, and so, that's the issue that we need to address," he said.

The committee went into closed session last night to hear from an investigator for the state attorney general's office about a criminal probe into the department's Bureau of Conveyances. The committee will continue the hearing today.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.