Report Title:
Hawaii Drought Preparedness Plan; Drought
Description:
Requires the Commission on Water Resource Management of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a Hawaii drought preparedness plan to be included in the Hawaii Water Plan to improve state drought monitoring, planning, mitigation, and response efforts. Appropriates funds. (HB953 HD1)
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
953 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to drought.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Droughts are natural disasters that are potentially devastating to Hawaii's economy and way of life. Not only do droughts have negative impacts on crops and livestock and the industries they support, they also affect irrigation systems and human consumption. Droughts may also have statewide ramifications by adversely affecting the tourism industry, which depends upon the natural beauty of our island state.
Adverse weather conditions and global climate changes can cause drought conditions to occur anywhere in the state. Time will be of the essence in dealing with the damaging effects from prolonged depletion of soil moisture and nondelivery of water to parched farms and ranches.
In Hawaii, drought declarations have been issued intermittently over the past several years, providing relief to stricken areas through emergency conservation measures and emergency appropriations. Yet, no current statewide plan exists to ensure an integrated and coordinated strategy to prepare for, mitigate, or respond to droughts. The creation of a statewide drought plan would serve a beneficial public interest and is needed to establish a coordinated effort in drought monitoring, planning, mitigation, and response. This would ensure the provision of adequate relief services and funding in cases of future drought conditions. The establishment of a statewide drought plan would also allow for droughts to be addressed more readily before they become critical problems that may threaten the existence of the agricultural, livestock, and tourism industries in Hawaii.
The purpose of this Act is to require the commission on water resource management of the department of land and natural resources to establish a Hawaii drought preparedness and mitigation plan to improve state drought monitoring, planning, mitigation, and response efforts.
SECTION 2. Section 174C-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) The Hawaii water plan shall consist of four parts:
(1) [a] A water resource protection plan which shall be prepared by the commission;
(2) [water] A water use and development plans for each county which shall be prepared by each separate county and adopted by ordinance, setting forth the allocation of water to land use in that county;
(3) [a] A state water projects plan which shall be prepared by the agency which has jurisdiction over such projects in conjunction with other state agencies; [and]
(4) [a] A water quality plan which shall be prepared by the department of health[.]; and
(5) A drought preparedness and mitigation plan which shall be prepared by the commission.
For the purposes of this section:
"Drought" means a natural disaster that is caused by a deficiency in precipitation that may lead to a deficiency in surface and subsurface water supplies, including rivers, streams, wetlands, ground water, soil moisture, reservoir supplies, lake levels, and loss of grazing grasslands, which may cause substantial economic or social impacts, or physical damage or injury to individuals, property, or the environment.
"Mitigation" means a short- or long-term action, program, or policy that is implemented in advance of or during a drought to minimize any risk, damage, or impact of the drought."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006 and the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to fund the development of the Hawaii drought preparedness and mitigation plan.
The sums appropriated shall be expanded by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.