STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 788-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2132

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2132, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO ACQUIRE REAL PROPERTY IN WAHIAWA, OAHU,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to acquire real property underlying Lake Wilson and appurtenant lands to:

(1) Ensure that the Wahiawa dam is properly maintained; and

(2) Explore the potential recreational use of Lake Wilson.

The ILWU Local 142 and Dole Food Company, Inc., testified in support of this bill. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) opposed this measure. The Department of Agriculture offered comments.

Your Committee recognizes that DLNR's mission is to protect and preserve Hawaii's natural and cultural resources, and in the case of Lake Wilson, DLNR's expertise lies within its current activities of managing a freshwater fishing area and adjoining lands as a state park. Therefore, your Committee is concerned that:

(1) The management and maintenance of a dam and irrigation reservoir are inconsistent with DLNR's vision, mission, and objectives. Just this year, the Auditor reminded DLNR to focus on its primary responsibilities; and

(2) DLNR is not in a position to assume the enormous liabilities, environmental concerns, maintenance responsibilities, and other concerns associated with the proposed transfer of the irrigation reservoir and related responsibilities.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2132, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2132, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair