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 S.B. No. 1587 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make appropriations to the Department of Agriculture as follows:

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Commission on Water Resource Management, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Honomalino Irrigation Cooperative.

The funding for the Honomalino irrigation system is intended to complete the development of the system, and the funding for the AWUDP is to complete the AWUDP in order to protect future agricultural water requirements.

The AWUDP is in its third edition, which is valuable, but still does not address the future needs of the growing diversified agricultural community. The AWUDP is intended to be a living document with regulated updates. When completed, the AWUDP will be submitted to the Board of Agriculture for approval by the Commission on Water Resource Management for inclusion in the state water plan.

The Honomalino irrigation system is a federally sponsored project, currently in the planning stage. When combined with federal funds, this appropriation would allow the completion of the watershed plan and environmental impact statement. A completed preliminary study has shown a positive cost-benefit ratio.

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 S.B. No. 1587 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.