STAND. COM. REP. NO.  582

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 260

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 260 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO APPRAISALS OF RESOURCE VALUE LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to increase the efficacy of acquiring lands having value as a resource to the State and reducing administrative costs of legacy land conservation by:

     (1)  Allowing the State to use existing appraisals that

          satisfy several conditions that were prepared for a

          nonprofit organization;

     (2)  Providing that the Board of Land and Natural Resources

          may not contract for more than three independent

          appraisals; and

     (3)  Allowing the State to pay more than the highest

          appraised value only if it is justified and within the

          range of market value, unless the acquisition is by

          condemnation, in which case this limitation does not

          apply.

     The Trust for Public Land testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 260 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair