Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 207 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Agriculture to work with the Legislature to create a proposal to improve the management of the Molokai Irrigation System.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Molokai Farm Bureau, and five individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Agriculture submitted comments on this measure.

Currently, Hawaiian homestead lessees are entitled to two-thirds of the water from the Molokai Irrigation System. However, because of years of difficulty in addressing many of the system's problems, homestead lessees have reduced their use of the system. As a result, farmers have cut back on their crops, and homestead lessees are receiving only about one-third of the system's total water.

Recently, the Department of Agriculture proposed a water rate increase that will double the cost of water for the Molokai Irrigation System users; however, this raise in price will adversely affect the native Hawaiian and homestead farmers. Thus, this measure requests the Department of Agriculture Resource Management Division to work with the Legislature to create a proposal to improve the management of the Molokai Irrigation System.

Specifically, this measure:

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 207 and recommends its adoption.