STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1287

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.R. No. 23
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Labor and
Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 23 entitled:

     "SENATE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR
     PROPOSED ARTIFICIAL REEF AND DERELICT WRECK PLACEMENT ON THE
     VOYAGER SUBMARINES, HAWAII DIVE SITE, OAHU, HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to express legislative
support for proposed artificial reef and derelict wreck placement
on the Voyager submarines, Hawaii dive site, Oahu, Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the
Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism,
BOATS/Hawaii Inc., Voyager Submarines Hawaii, and Atlantis
Submarines.

     Your Committees find that on August 28, 1998, the Board of
Land and Natural Resources approved a Conservation District Use
Permit, with twenty-seven conditions, to allow Voyager submarines
to create an artificial reef, which is intended to enhance the
marine biodiversity of the area.

     Your Committees further find that a similar artificial reef
program was established in 1989 by Atlantis Submarines.
According to a recent research report, over one hundred forty
different species of fish were identified at the Atlantis site.


 
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     Your Committees are supportive of these efforts to enhance
Hawaii's marine environment, while creating additional
attractions for visitors to the State.

     Your Committees have amended this measure to add an
additional Be It Resolved clause authorizing the Board of Land
and Natural Resources to issue a non-exclusive easement to
Voyager Submarines for the use of State-owned submerged lands.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Economic Development and Labor and Environment that
are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the
intent and purpose of S.R. No. 23, as amended herein, and
recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 23, S.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Economic
                                   Development and Labor and
                                   Environment,



____________________________       ______________________________
BOB NAKATA, Chair                  LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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