CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 97

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 1899

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1899, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KAWAI NUI MARSH,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the conservation of Kawai Nui Marsh, one of our state's largest and most important remaining wetlands, by:

(1)  Transferring ownership of lot 3 of Kawai Nui Marsh from the City & County of Honolulu (C&C of Honolulu) to the State to take advantage of federal funds, by September 1, 2007; and

(2)  Appropriating funds for the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to:

(A)  Maintain the Kawai Nui Marsh or contract with the C&C of Honolulu or any other public or private entity to maintain the Kawai Nui Marsh; and

(B)  Conduct or contract for educational, ecological, cultural, and environmental services for Kawai Nui Marsh and its adjoining state-owned areas.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1)  Deleting the appropriations for DLNR to maintain Kawai Nui Marsh or contract with the C&C of Honolulu to maintain Kawai Nui Marsh;

(2)  Deleting the appropriations to conduct or to contract for educational, ecological, cultural, and environmental services for Kawai Nui Marsh and its adjoining state-owned areas, as this appropriation has been addressed in the budget;

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2007; and

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1899, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1899, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair	____________________________ KEN ITO, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ PONO CHONG, Co-Chair
____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Co-Chair