Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 155, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the County of Maui to assist the Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine the feasibility of redeveloping the Old Nahiku School site and making it available as a community facility.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by a County of Maui council member and seventy-nine individuals. Comments were also submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Recently, the old Nahiku School was destroyed in a fire. The historic school in Hana was considered a treasure by the Nahiku community and was a fixture in the community for over fifty years. Currently, the site remains undeveloped, and there has been some interest in developing the area to provide a place for the community to come together and share native Hawaiian cultural practices and traditions and to have a central location for learning, information sharing, and other community-oriented events. Accordingly, your Committees find that the Department of Land and Natural Resources should determine the feasibility of developing the old Nahiku School site into a community facility.

Your Committees noted that the old Nahiku school property is located on ceded lands. Based on this information, your Committees recommend that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs be included in discussions for the site's future development.

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 concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 155, H.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.