STAND. COM. REP. NO.  298-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2247

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2247 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend the time allowed to acquire the private lands designated as part of the South Kona Wilderness Area (Wilderness Area) on the island of Hawaii to December 31, 2009.

     The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and Trust for Public Land testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) supported the intent of this measure.  A concerned individual opposed this bill.  Hawaii Capital Partners, LLC, and South Kona LLC, provided comments. 

     Act 59, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003, was enacted to establish the Wilderness Area, and to protect and preserve this area by:

(1) Reclassifying the lands within the Wilderness Area as lands within the conservation district;

(2)  Prohibiting within the Wilderness Area:

     (A)  The development of new subdivisions; and

(B)  The construction of new buildings within 1000 feet of the shoreline;

(3)  Developing a comprehensive management plan for the Wilderness Area; and

(4)  Acquiring private land within the Wilderness Area through value-for-value exchanges of other state lands.

An extension to complete the exchange transaction tasked to DLNR was made to December 31, 2007, but the transaction has not yet been consummated.  Your Committee finds that an extension of another few years would be prudent to see the completion of this important endeavor.

     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. 2247 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