STAND. COM. REP. NO. 952

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 948
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was
referred H.B. No. 948, H.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE
     AGRICULTURAL WATER USE AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for
research, mapping, and inventories of existing agricultural water
systems statewide, and for development of an agricultural water
plan.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Farm Bureau
Federation, the Big Island Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Florists' and
Shippers' Association, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center,
the Big Island Dendrobium Grower's Association, and East and West
Kauai Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

     Your Committee finds that Act 101, Session Laws of Hawaii
1998, requires the Department of Agriculture to prepare a state
agricultural water use and development plan, with updates to the
plan as necessary.  The appropriation in this measure will allow
the department to begin this planning effort.  Your Committee
also notes that the Commission on Water Resource Management is
currently undergoing an updating of all individual county water
use and development plans, and this is an opportune time to

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 952
                                   Page 2


incorporate agricultural water use planning into the county
plans.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to clarify that
existing agricultural land use and irrigation water requirements
are to be inventoried.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 948, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 948, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways
and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development,



                                   ______________________________
                                   LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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