Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2575 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for a baseline environmental study of the Waianae Coast ocean area.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Alternative Hawaii, Wild Dolphin Foundation, and thirty-four individuals. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

Your Committee finds that in 2005, the Legislature found that the growing population of west Oahu and the visitor industry are affecting the traditional uses of the area along the Waianae coast and are having cumulative economic, environmental, social, and cultural effects on the many communities along the coastline. Accordingly, the Legislature mandated that DLNR prepare a baseline environmental study as an informational document to be used to establish the boundaries of an ocean recreation management area and to draft ocean recreation management area rules. However, limited resources precluded funding for the baseline environmental study at the time. Thus, this measure appropriates money to DLNR to complete the baseline environmental study for the Waianae Coast ocean area.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the amount of the appropriation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2575, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2575, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.