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 S.B. No. 2462 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct the County of Maui to limit access on the Makena-Keoneoio Government Road through the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve contains numerous ancient Hawaiian archaeological and cultural sites; fragile anchialine ponds, containing endangered endemic aquatic species; and isolated coves, small bays, and coral reefs, containing numerous species of marine fauna, including fish, crustaceans, corals, and aquatic vegetation. The Makena-Keoneoio Government Road, which runs through the reserve, allows uncontrolled public access to the reserve. Your Committees find that this uncontrolled influx of visitors is having an enormous negative impact on the reserve and its resources. Thus, this measure directs the County of Maui to limit the public access on the portion of the Makena-Keoneoio Government Road where it runs through the reserve.

Your Committees noted that the Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed this measure because the department is in the process of developing a comprehensive community-developed management plan for the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve. As a part of the plan, the department is addressing the uncontrolled public access to the reserve. However, your Committees find that time is of the essence, as resources in this area are negatively impacted each day that there is no action.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting the effective date of July 1, 2050 to facilitate further discussion on this issue.

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. 2462, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2462, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.