Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs and Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1894 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to include the concepts of sustainable development and self-sustainability into the Hawaii State Planning Act.

Testimony in favor of the measure was received by a member of the Maui County Council, two University of Hawaii professors, and one individual. The Office of Planning and Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., gave testimony that supported the intent of the measure and offered comments. The Board of Land and Natural Resources offered comments. Testimony from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism opposed the use of the term "self-sustainability" in the measure. The Land Use Research Foundation offered testimony in opposition to the measure.

Your Committees have amended this bill by replacing the term "self-sustainability" and its definition with "sustainability" and a corresponding definition. Your Committees have responded to the concerns raised by both the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism that the term "self-sustainability" connotes isolationism and insularity and fails to acknowledge that Hawaii interacts, trades, and cooperates with others. Your Committees have also amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive, amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs and Water, Land, and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1894, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1894, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.