STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1700

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 177

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 177 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF HAWAII, AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO WORK COOPERATIVELY TO PROTECT KAWAI NUI MARSH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the federal, state, and city and county governments to cooperate to protect the Kawai Nui marsh.

The Kawai Nui Heritage Foundation, the Windward Ahupua'a Alliance, and six individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

The Kawai Nui marsh serves as a critical flood control basin to protect the developed lower-lying areas of urban Kailua and the water quality of Kailua Bay on the island of Oahu. It also provides an important habitat for native Hawaiian and migratory birds and is identified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a water bird recovery area. Further, the Kawai Nui marsh was recently designated by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance as one of three wetlands of international importance in the United States.

Over the years, many groups have contributed to the care and protection of this valuable natural resource, and the DLNR is working on developing an ecosystem restoration project for the Kawai Nui marsh. However, more needs to be done to protect and restore this area. Accordingly, this measure urges the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Hawaii, and the City and County of Honolulu to meet and resolve the land-ownership issues involving the Kawai Nui marsh to protect and preserve the natural resources of the marsh.

Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting two clauses within this measure stating that:

(1) All privately owned land around Kawai Nui marsh has been purchased by the State; and

(2) The State has acquired control over all the publicly owned land in Kawai Nui marsh through a lease from the City and County of Honolulu.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 177, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 177, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

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RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair