STAND. COM. REP. NO. 551

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1090

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1090 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure visitors' safety and enjoyment of the Diamond Head State Monument, and reduce visitor impact on the trail by appropriating funds to improve the load distribution and carrying capacity of the trail system at the Diamond Head State Monument.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Waikiki Improvement Association, and three individuals.

     Diamond Head is a widely acknowledged symbol of Hawaii and visited by tourists and residents daily, but the trail system leading to the summit is in desperate need of repair and maintenance.  Your Committee finds that the concern for public safety is foremost because the existing trail facilities do not effectively accommodate the number of visitors to this unique historic attraction.  Appropriating funds to improve the load distribution and carrying capacity of the trail system fulfills the intent of this measure, which is to ensure visitor safety and enjoyment of the Diamond Head State Monument.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the sum of $2,200,000 and leaving it unspecified for the Committee on Ways and Means to determine.

     Although this measure makes an appropriation from the general fund, your Committee believes that the source of funding for the appropriation merits further discussion by the Committee on Ways and Means.  Your Committee questions whether a more appropriate source of funding would be from the issuance of general obligation bonds.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1090, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1090, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair