STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2834

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3077

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3077, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide guidance on developing an effective process to award funds from the land conservation fund.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes and assigns responsibilities to a legacy land conservation commission to assist the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Board of Land and Natural Resources in administering the land conservation fund;

(2) Establishes criteria for prioritizing land and easement acquisitions with moneys from the land conservation fund;

(3) Provides for the development and periodic updating of a resource land acquisition plan;

(4) Provides for legislative review of lands acquired; and

(5) Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to submit to the Legislature, on an annual basis:

(A) A resolution with a list of all lands acquired; and

(B) A report listing the acceptance or rejection by the Board of Land and Natural Resources of the legacy land conservation commission's advice and recommendations.

By Act 156, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, the Legislature established the land conservation fund to protect state land and resources for future generations. This includes, among other things, conserving land for watershed protection, coastal preservation, flood prevention, parks, habitat protection, cultural preservation, agricultural production, and open space and scenic resources. Your Committee understands that this measure provides needed guidance on the process for awarding funds from the land conservation fund.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3077, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3077, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair