STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3265

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 77

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 77 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO PROCLAIM JUNE 8TH OF EVERY YEAR AS WORLD OCEAN DAY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Governor proclaim June 8th of each year as World Ocean Day.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Audubon Society, Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Kai Makana, and thirty interested individuals.  Girl Scout Troop 401 submitted testimony in support of this measure and attached a petition with approximately 486 signatures in support of this measure.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     Your Committee finds that the concept of World Ocean Day was established in 1992 at the United Nations Earth Summit.  The world's oceans are critical to maintaining the planet's ecosystems and are essential to human health and well-being.

 

     Your Committee further finds that Hawaii's location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and its distinction of being the farthest removed islands from any other body of land in the world makes it an appropriate participant in World Ocean Day.  Your Committee believes that World Ocean Day is an opportunity to educate the world's population about conserving and protecting the world's oceans and fragile marine environment.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requesting that the President of the United States proclaim June 8th of every year as World Ocean Day and changing the measure's title to reflect this amendment;

 

     (2)  Supplementing the justifications given for requesting the proclamation of World Ocean Day; and

 

     (3)  Supplementing the list of recipients of copies of the resolution to include the President of the United States and various interested governmental agencies and private organizations.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 77, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 77, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair