Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1169 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to set forth a funding mechanism that directly links the State Park System's operating and maintenance expenditures to income derived from tourists.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Board of Land and Natural Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii's Thousand Friends, Annette's Adventures, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, Flooring Innovations & Interiors, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that part of what brings people to visit the State is the opportunity to experience the Hawaii State Park System. Therefore, these resources should be experienced in the context of world class, well designed, well-maintained park facilities. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The most obvious problem facing the State Park System is the deteriorated condition of its parks' facilities. Facilities designed and built decades ago to handle a few dozen visitors a day are now overwhelmed by thousands of people every day. To various degrees, roads are crumbling, sewage systems overloaded, water supplies overdrawn, trails eroding, picnic tables are collapsing and shelters are falling apart.

Your Committee amended this measure by deleting the appropriation amount until further information and calculations can be provided by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1169, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1169, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.