Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 3051 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to set forth the policies and procedures for identifying and managing important agricultural lands; direct the Agribusiness Development Corporation to convene a task force to develop incentives for important agricultural lands; and allow agricultural tourism, holiday, and agricultural-related special events on agricultural district lands.

Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii. The Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Audubon Society; Big Island Business Council; Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference; Kamehameha Schools; Estate of James Campbell; Hawaiian Marine Enterprises; and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc. submitted comments on the measure.

This measure and Senate Bill No. 3052 contain a number of provisions regarding the identification of important agricultural lands that are similar to those proposed by the Agricultural Working Group. Your Committee believes that the issues presented in both measures would be best addressed in a single measure and find that this measure should be used as a vehicle to address other priorities concerning important agricultural lands.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting language that establishes the state agricultural land protection program to assist the State in the acquisition of agricultural easements on lands identified as important agricultural lands.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3051, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3051, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.