STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1767
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: S.C.R. No. 207
H.D. 1
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 S.C.R. No. 207 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO CREATE A PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MOLOKAI IRRIGATION SYSTEM,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to address the maintenance of and water allocation from the Molokai Irrigation System (System) by requesting the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to work with the Legislature to create a proposal to improve the management of the System.
The Hawaii Crop Improvement Association testified in support of this concurrent resolution. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) supported the intent of this measure. DOA and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation offered comments.
The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, as amended, among other things, allowed the construction of irrigation projects on Hawaiian home lands and the prior right of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and its lessees to two-thirds of the water developed from an irrigation system on certain parts of Molokai, subject to a showing of actual need.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources was unable to adequately maintain the System, and in 1989, responsibility for the System was transferred to DOA. Lack of staffing to monitor the System has resulted in net losses to the water system. Consequently, farms on Hawaiian home lands have had to sharply curtail the use of irrigation water, resulting in reduced crop yields, and that has raised a parity issue regarding water restrictions between agriculture and resort uses.
The System's service area includes more than 7,600 acres that are under DHHL's jurisdiction. Your Committee finds that the existing condition of the System discourages Hawaiian homesteaders from increasing agricultural production.
Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:
(1) Deleting the provisions that request the creation of a proposal to improve the management of the System;
(2) Requesting DOA's Resource Management Division to work with the Molokai Irrigation System Water Users Advisory Board and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to study the specific concerns and needs of homestead users;
(3) Changing the title to read: "REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION TO WORK WITH THE MOLOKAI IRRIGATION SYSTEM WATER USERS ADVISORY BOARD AND THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO STUDY THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AND NEEDS OF HOMESTEAD USERS ON MOLOKAI";
(4) Specifying that it is the agricultural activity of all system users taken together which makes agriculture so significant to Molokai's economy and allows many support services and farm operations to remain viable; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and consistency.
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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 207, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached thereto as S.C.R. No. 207, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,
|
____________________________ EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair |
||