Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Media, Arts, Science, and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 11 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Legislature support and provide additional financial support for historic preservation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Hawaii has a unique and spectacular history found nowhere else in the world, which should be preserved and shared for current and future generations as well as for the millions of tourists that visit the State each year. Studies have shown that historic preservation can benefit the state economy by attracting tourists to historic sites, creating jobs, and increasing property values. The Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources has an inventory of approximately 38,000 historic places and this number increases by approximately 1,000 additional sites per year. Additional funding for historic preservation will enable Native Hawaiian communities to further protect their cultural landscapes and preserve areas that are vital for traditional gathering, religious practices, and the restoration of native ecosystems.

Your Committee finds that historic preservation promotes economic growth for the State and protects the State's unique cultural heritage for future generations. Your Committee urges the Legislature to support and provide financial support for historic preservation efforts statewide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Media, Arts, Science, and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 11, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 11, S.D. 1.