Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 208 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to complete the fencing of Lana`i's critical and sole watershed area for the preservation of indigenous ecosystems and the island's drinking water source.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and a member of the Maui County Council testified in support of this bill. The Board of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of the measure.

Your Committee finds that Lanaihale, Lana`i's primary forested area, provides the only source of potable water to the island. Overpopulation of axis deer has been a major cause of degradation to vegetative cover and soil. The progressive loss of cover and soil will have a major impact on both the quantity and quality of potable water.

Cognizant of the State's fiscal dilemma, your Committee has amended this bill by reducing the requested amount from $1,500,000 to $250,000, provided that there is dollar-for-dollar federal or private matching funding. In addition, technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for purposes of style, consistency, and conformity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 208, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 208, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.