Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for planning and construction of the Honomalino irrigation system and to prepare the Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan.

The Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Big Island Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Maui County Farm Bureau, and the Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committees find that small, diversified farms in the South Kona region are susceptible to long droughts that cause major crop damage, wreaking havoc on the economy. Without a reliable agricultural water system, crops will continue to suffer, aggravating the adverse economic impact of drought conditions in the region. Thus, this measure appropriates funds to:

Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting the amount of the appropriation to allow the Committee on Ways and Means to determine the funding.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.