STAND. COM. REP. 417

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1613

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1613 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to institute proceedings to acquire lands adjacent to the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument (Monument) to provide access to the Monument, including the Mookini Heiau.

Mookini Luakini, Inc., submitted testimony in support of this bill. DLNR submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee finds that the acquisition of these lands serves a public purpose and will help to ensure the protection of the Monument and the historical sites located there. Your Committee finds, however, that it would be more appropriate to purchase these lands or acquire them through land exchange, rather than through the eminent domain condemnation process. Additionally, your Committee notes that due to the lack of available funding, these lands will likely have to be acquired through land exchange.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Specifying that the lands adjacent to the Monument shall be purchased or acquired through land exchange;

(2) Specifying additional parcels of land to be acquired to provide a buffer zone; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1613, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1613, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair