STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2431

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2727

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2727 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HA‘IKU VALLEY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the Ha‘iku Valley Cultural Preserve Commission which shall have policy and management oversight of the Ha‘iku Valley cultural preserve.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, Ko‘olau Foundation, O‘ahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and sixteen individuals.  The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands submitted testimony in support of the intent of the measure with comments.  The Board of Land and Natural Resources and Office of Hawaiian Affairs submitted testimony in support of this measure with recommended changes to the measure as drafted.

     Your Committees find that Ha‘iku Valley on Oahu is of significant cultural and historic importance to the native people of Hawai‘i.  Ha‘iku Valley is renowned for its archaeological and other cultural and historic sites, including lo‘i, sacred sites, and burial sites, and for the presence of native and endangered flora and fauna.  Preserving the Valley's cultural and historic resources and educating the public about these resources are of paramount importance.

Your Committees further find that ownership of the Valley is segmented among several entities.  The Valley's segmented ownership and limited stewardship have placed its cultural and historic resources at high risk.  As a result, adequate management of the Valley, and appropriate access to the Valley, have proven elusive.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the member of the commission that is appointed by the Governor from a list submitted by Native Hawaiian organizations is to have a historical relationship with the ahupua‘a in which Ha‘iku Valley is located;

     (2)  Making other technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2727, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2727, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair	____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair
	____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair