Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2400 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of $1,600,000 for fiscal year 2005-2006 to assist in the purchase and preservation of Waimea Valley on the island of Oahu.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Conservation Council for Hawai`i, Na Leo Pohai, Save Waimea Valley Coalition, the Sierra Club-Hawaii Chapter, the Trust for Public Land, the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that Waimea Valley is one of the few remaining intact ahupua`a on the island of Oahu and remains a rich and sacred cultural, historic, and aesthetic resource for the entire State. This measure makes an emergency appropriation for the State to contribute money toward the purchase of Waimea Valley.

Your Committee noted testimony from the Department of Land and Natural Resources indicating that the State is not the sole purchaser of the valley. Rather, a consortium of nonprofit and government entities will provide funding to purchase the valley. Those parties include the United States Army, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the City and County of Honolulu, and the National Audubon Society.

Your Committee questioned the Department of Land and Natural Resources on whether this "agreement" between all of the purchasers was reduced to writing. The department indicated, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs concurred, that the "agreement" is stipulated in a court order, as part of the settlement for the condemnation proceedings. Your Committee has requested the department to provide a copy of the court's order to your Committee on Ways and Means for further review.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2400, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.