Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 1276 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure public access to the Ewa Forest Reserve and Poamoho Trail by:

DLNR, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Castle & Cooke Hawaii, and the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Association of Realtors supported the intent of this measure

Your Committee finds that public access to the Ewa Forest Reserve and Poamoho Trail is critical to recreational users as well as those who maintain the area. An indemnity and defense agreement is essential to protect landowners and other individuals. DLNR is working towards an agreement that would eliminate the need for an appropriation for a metes and bounds survey and land acquisition.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1276, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1276, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.