Oahu has its share of boards and commissions — more than its share, some would say — but it defies logic that of the state’s four counties, the one with so many historical sites to lose should be the one lacking a commission assigned to protect them.

That is the reasoning behind Honolulu City Council Bill 44, which would finally implement the 1993 creation of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, the members of which were never appointed or provided with support staff.

The bill has passed first reading, but that’s only the start of what could be a tough campaign to get the measure over the finish line. After all, it’s languished on the books for almost three decades, an indicator of some resistance to the idea.

Opponents seem to argue that the commission would merely add a layer of bureaucracy that duplicates the work of the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. That potential problem could be minimized: The county office could be set up to supplement, rather than replicate what the state agency does.

Most importantly, the commission could draw more financial resources to aid preservation efforts.

The other three counties, each of which has a commission, are able to secure federal funding for historic preservation. Under federal law, SHPD can pass along about $60,000 in federal grants through the National Parks Service to what are called “Certified Local Governments,” which are counties that have a cultural resource or preservation commission.

A Certified Local Government can send SHPD its proposals for the funds — underwriting an archaeological search, for example. After a review, the division would relay it to the National Parks Service for approval.

The appropriations would not be large, but a grant could make the difference between identifying a site with historic or archaeological significance and allowing such a site to slip between the cracks. Losing the funds and then the historic resource are outcomes the city should avoid.

The bill is drafted as an amendment to an ordinance governing how the city relates to SHPD. The commission would set up a system for identifying historic properties that would be part of city permit review.

It would gather nominations of historic sites and recommend them to SHPD. This would replace the provision requiring the creation of a separate Oahu historic sites register, an effort to avoid unneeded duplication.

This role now is held by the city Department of Planning and Permitting, an agency already pressed to handle its myriad tasks more efficiently. Moreover, DPP has been assigned additional functions, such as revised vacation-rental oversight duties, and lacks the staff for historic sites review.

It then is not surprising that projects are being relayed to SHPD rather haphazardly, according to its administrator, Alan Downer. Other counties consult with local cultural advocates first and are better able to identify sites where, for example, Native Hawaiian burials may be located. A Honolulu commission could make the work more efficient and effective.

The bill has the support of the nonprofit Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i. Expertise in anthropology, ethnography and sociology would be added to the list of professional fields from which members could be drawn, a refinement that the foundation rightly endorses.

It is encouraging that the measure seems to have the backing of the city administration as well, but it’s early in the process, so some resistance can be expected.

Bill 44 will still need a strong push from everyone who cares about saving Oahu’s historic treasures.