STAND. COM. REP. NO.158

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1615

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1615 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NORTH KOHALA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to condemn the land adjacent to the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Mo`okini Luakini. Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that purchasing land to provide public access and buffers for the Kohala Historic Monument, which includes the Kamehameha birth site, Kukuipahu heiau, and Mo`okini Luakini, would ensure the protection of three very significant sites in Kohala. The Kamehameha birth site is currently surrounded by private land, which presents the possibility of building around it. The Kukuipahu heiau is so old that not much is known about it, and the Mo`okini Luakini may be the only luakini in Hawaii where the kahu have never been separated from the care of their heiau.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1615 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair