STAND. COM. REP. NO. 246

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 800
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water and Land Use and Energy and
Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 800
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP
     PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to amend the definition of
"potential natural area reserve" by removing reference to other
lands or waters meeting criteria established by the natural area
reserves system commission.  

     Your Committees received testimony as follows:

     1.   Board of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Society of
          American Foresters, Hawaii Forest Stewardship Advisory
          Committee, C.A.M. Resource Management, in support; and 

     2.   Sierra Club, in opposition. 

     Your Committees find that current law prevents the Forest
Stewardship Program from assisting private landowners whose
properties are considered "potential natural area reserves."
Thus, many relatively healthy forests on private land slide into
a state of decline for lack of active management.  This land
management is essential in efforts to halt the spread of non-
native plants and inappropriate land uses, such as cattle
grazing. 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Water and Land Use and Energy and Environmental
Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 800 and

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 246
                                 Page 2

 
recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the
Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Water and Land
                                   Use and Energy and
                                   Environmental Protection,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair           ROMY M. CACHOLA, Chair