Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1469 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow open area recreational uses within rural districts, increase the minimum lot size within agricultural districts to five acres, and establish a rural and agricultural lands task force to develop criteria, standards, and procedures for the identification and designation of marginal agricultural lands.

Your Committee received testimony supporting this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Land Use Commission, Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, Planning Department of the County of Kauai, Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, Hawaii Business Roundtable, and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii and Hawaii's Thousand Friends.

Your Committee finds that this measure allows rural development that supports agriculture, protects open space, accommodates rural, nonfarm uses, and avoids the expansion of costly urban infrastructure. The task force established by this measure will be especially helpful in clarifying and improving the State's rural and agricultural land use policies.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1469 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.