STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3441

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 143
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 143 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF
     LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO
     IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOURCES OF PERMANENT DEDICATED FUNDING
     AND FUNDING NEEDS OF THE NATURAL AREA RESERVES SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the
Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a working
group to identify potential sources of permanent dedicated
funding and funding needs of the Natural Area Reserves system.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's native and endemic
plants are quickly becoming extinct at a rate much faster than in
other locations in the world.  For many centuries the native and
endemic species in Hawaii have had no competitors or natural
enemies and as a result lost their defense mechanisms such as,
for example, thorns or odors.  The rapid globalization brought on
by jet travel and a heavy tourist influx have taken their toll on
the native ecosystems.

     Your Committee also finds that the 1987 Natural Area
Reserves Strategic Plan and the creation of nineteen Natural Area
Reserves on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii

 
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have been a good start toward preserving native species and
ecosystems, but there has been virtually no money to manage these
areas for the long term.  In an effort to solve this dilemma,
this concurrent resolution requests the Department of Land and
Natural Resources to take an active step to use the knowledge and
experience of a working group of experts to come up with ways to
pay for and staff, as well as expand, the Natural Area Reserves
system.  This report will provide the 2001 regular session of the
Legislature a better understanding of how to approach this issue.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 143,
and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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