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.C.R. No. 139 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to study the feasibility of mandated or incentive-based voluntary rooftop landscaping and agriculture in urban districts.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

Scientific testing in several countries has shown that rooftop landscaping helps to reduce the amount of pollutants and dust particles in the air and water. Your Committee finds that encouraging more of these projects across the State is appropriate. Accordingly, this measure requests the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to study the feasibility of mandated or incentive-based voluntary rooftop landscaping and agriculture in urban districts.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 139 and recommends its adoption.