STAND. COM. REP. NO.  378

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 337

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 337 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to preserve agricultural lands on Oahu by authorizing the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) to purchase, via general funds or revenue bonds, agricultural lands located in the Kunia area on Oahu and owned by the Campbell Estate.  In addition, this bill provides additional flexibility to ADC by allowing ADC to:

 

     (1)  Purchase, accept, and maintain permanent conservation easements in accordance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program; and

 

     (2)  When leasing ADC controlled agricultural land, contract with a financial institution that is transacting business in this State to provide lease management service.

 

     The University of Hawaii, Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kauai County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association supported this bill.  ADC supported the intent of this measure. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the reference to lands owned by the Campbell Estate;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the ADC is authorized to purchase agricultural lands located in Kunia or Ewa, or both,  instead of Kunia solely; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 337, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 337, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair