HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

116

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES NAVY'S REQUEST FOR A LONG-TERM LEASE OF STATE LANDS AS WELL AS the preservation of A PERMANENT AGRICULTURAL BUFFER around THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY.

 

 

WHEREAS, since the creation of a military base at Barking Sands, Kauai, before World War II, the military has co-existed compatibly with agricultural interests on Kauai; and

WHEREAS, now known as the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), this military base has developed into an integral part of Kauai's economy:

(1) By directly accounting for approximately 25 percent of Kauai's federal jobs and 19 percent of all government jobs on Kauai;

(2) With its visiting personnel and technicians; and

(3) With its $164 million budget for fiscal year 2003;

and

WHEREAS, PMRF has evolved into a major research, development, testing, and evaluation center with the potential for more growth, which would spur the development of additional jobs; and

WHEREAS, many of these jobs are of a high-tech nature, the creation of which has long been recognized as essential to diversifying Hawaii's tourism-based economy; in turn, these jobs have spurred the creation of numerous high-tech companies on Kauai and elsewhere in the State; and

WHEREAS, these jobs are a natural complement to other United States Department of Defense (USDOD) initiatives in Hawaii, such as the Air Force's High-Performance Computing Center, Space Surveillance System, and telescopes on Maui, which advance Hawaii's potential to compete in the evolving global economy of information technology; and

WHEREAS, a major beneficiary of these USDOD technology programs is the University of Hawaii, which holds the contract to operate the High-Performance Computing Center; and

WHEREAS, these USDOD technology programs have the potential for dual-use application, which could benefit the people of Hawaii, such as the Navy's recent experiments with renewable energy generation using wave power off Marine Corps Base Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the residents of Kauai have long benefited from PMRF's and the Navy's presence in many other ways, from supplying emergency relief after Hurricane Iniki, providing emergency medical airlift capacity, to supporting technology improvements at Kauai, Waimea, and Kapaa high schools; and

WHEREAS, most of the vast acreage in Mana between PMRF and Kekaha Town is below sea level and was once covered with water; however, due to the continuous pumping and drainage systems previously maintained by the Kekaha Sugar Company, this submerged area was transformed into rich agricultural lands producing the highest sugar cane yields in the State and perhaps the world; and

WHEREAS, the Navy wishes to participate in the operation and maintenance of the pumping and drainage system at an annual cost of $500,000 to protect PMRF's viability as a major research, development, testing, and evaluation center and to protect the entire area from returning to its submerged state; and

WHEREAS, the Navy has already expended approximately $4.5 million for the repair and replacement of pumping equipment and cleaning irrigation and drainage channels; and

WHEREAS, a lease of the state lands on which the pumping and drainage system is located would allow the Navy to use regularly appropriated funds for this purpose; and

WHEREAS, the Navy has asked DLNR for:

(1) Assurance that state lands that adjoin the inland perimeter of PMRF not otherwise designated for park or bird sanctuary purposes be permanently retained in agriculture to provide a necessary buffer;

(2) A long-term lease of a strip of state lands immediately adjacent to PMRF; and

(3) A restrictive easement for state lands adjacent to PMRF, such easement being an interest in real property that conveys the right, privilege, and authority to restrict the uses of the property;

and

WHEREAS, the restrictive easement would ensure a compatible agricultural buffer on the inland perimeter of PMRF and would provide needed assurance of minimal interference with the Navy's vital testing, research, development, and evaluation activities; and

WHEREAS, such activities would also help promote further investments and generate high tech jobs at PMRF and in the state; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that this body:

(1) Recognizes the Navy's many, long-standing contributions to the County of Kauai and the State of Hawaii;

(2) Supports the Navy's request for:

(a) A restrictive easement for state lands adjacent to the inland perimeter of PMRF;

(b) A long-term lease of state lands in Mana on which the pumping and drainage systems are located; and

(c) A long-term lease of approximately 270 acres of coral based state land deemed unsuitable for agriculture located between the main highway and the base at PMRF;

and

(3) Urges the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) to support the Navy's request;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Hawaii's Congressional delegation, the Chairperson and members of BLNR, the Mayor of the County of Kauai, the Kauai County Council, the Commander of the United States Pacific Command, the Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, the Commander of Navy Region Hawaii, and the Commanding Officer of PMRF.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PUMPING AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN MANA, KAUAI IN EXCHANGE FOR A LONG-TERM LEASE OF STATE LANDS ON WHICH THE PUMPING AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ARE LOCATED AS WELL AS THE RETENTION OF A PERMANENT AGRICULTURAL BUFFER FOR THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY.

Report Title:

SUPPORTING THE REQUEST BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO ASSUME