HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	248
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to evaluate the possibility of using a conservation land trust in the Ala Wai watershed area.

     WHEREAS, the Ala Wai watershed is comprised of streams, springs, and pools of water originating from the Ko‘olau mountains; and

     WHEREAS, approximately 161,000 people reside in the Ala Wai watershed area, making it one of the most congested areas in the State; and

     WHEREAS, during heavy storms, the Ala Wai watershed swells sending runoff and debris into the Ala Wai canal and adjoining areas; and

     WHEREAS, the combination of public and private ownership of streamside and hillside properties in the Ala Wai watershed area has hindered the development of integrated solutions and the reduction of downstream flooding and property damage in the area; and

     WHEREAS, efforts to plan an effective storm water and pollution strategy for the Ala Wai watershed are also inhibited by the population density; and

     WHEREAS, to date, no report on the Ala Wai watershed has focused on the possibility of using a conservation land trust on private land to alleviate the downstream impact of storm water and pollution from the Ala Wai watershed; and

     WHEREAS, conservation land trusts have been successful in preserving private lands for public benefit in rural and agricultural areas, and have provided tax benefits to the participating private land owners; and

     WHEREAS, a conservation land trust in the Ala Wai watershed area that incorporates nonprofit land ownership and easements may provide the means to establish a continuous corridor in which to implement effective storm water and pollution improvements; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources should evaluate the possibility of using a conservation land trust in the Ala Wai watershed area to establish a continuous corridor in which to implement effective storm water and pollution improvements; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to evaluate the possibility of using a conservation land trust in the Ala Wai watershed area to establish a continuous corridor in which to implement effective storm water and pollution improvements; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in evaluating the possibility of using a conservation land trust in the Ala Wai watershed area, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, is requested to:

     (1)  Collaborate with the Ala Wai Watershed Association;

     (2)  Review the policy foundations for using a conservation land trust;

     (3)  Review the use of conservation land trusts in relation to other watershed and storm water improvement projects undertaken by the State, the City and County of Honolulu, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

     (4)  Make a technical assessment of the possibility of using a conservation land trust; and

     (5)  Solicit input from the local community; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of the Ala Wai Watershed Association.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Ala Wai Watershed; Conservation Land Trust