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. 3079 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transfer the administration of agricultural leases from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC).

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by C&H Farms. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, ADC, DLNR, the Big Island Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that ADC is a unique government entity that can optimize the use of agricultural assets for the economic, environmental, and social benefit of the State. This measure utilizes these unique abilities by transferring the administration of agricultural leases from DLNR to ADC.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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. 3079, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3079, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.