STAND. COM. REP. NO. 38

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1878

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1878 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF LAND ALONG THE SOUTH KONA-KA`U COASTLINE ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAI`I,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate moneys for the purchase of critical lands in the south Kona-Ka`u area.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by a Hawaii County Council member, the Nature Conservancy, Pahala Plantation Cottages, the Sierra Club, Trust for Public Land, and forty-two individuals. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the south Kona-Ka`u area on the island of Hawaii is a well-preserved cultural and recreational resource. However, the break-up and sale of large landholdings along the south Kona-Ka`u coastline provides the State a unique opportunity to protect important environmental, agricultural, and cultural resources in this area. Thus, this measure will appropriate the necessary funds to purchase vital lands in the Kona-Ka`u area.

Your Committee has amended this measure to include private contributions as a source of funding that may be used to match the State's appropriation.

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. 1878, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1878, S.D. 1, 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,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair