Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Economic Development and Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2332 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the state park imua special fund, with a community matching fund component, in order to provide financial assistance to communities involved in the repair and maintenance of state parks.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the County of Kauai. Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Offering comments on the measure was the State Procurement Office.

Your Committees find that this measure recognizes the importance of applying the innovative "3R's" approach, developed to tackle the backlog of school repair and maintenance projects, to much-needed park beautification and maintenance projects in the state parks system. To support and encourage future community-based park restoration initiatives, it is essential that the State make available adequate funding, in the form of a matching fund program. This matching fund program will ensure that these initiatives are carried out in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Your Committees acknowledge the concern raised that this may touch on efforts already underway in state parks, but believe that stronger private-public partnerships like those used for public school repairs will only benefit the state park system and its users.

Your Committees have amended the measure by changing the effective date to make the bill defective in order to promote continuing discussion and by making technical, nonsubstantive changes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Water, Land, and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2332, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2332, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.