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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
210 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU 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 and City and County of Honolulu 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, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the City and County of Honolulu are 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 and City and County of Honolulu, are 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 Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mayor and Chairperson of the City Council of the City and County of Honolulu, and the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of the Ala Wai Watershed Association.
Ala Wai Watershed; Conservation Land Trust