STAND. COM. REP. NO. 20
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 845
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. 845 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to ensure that irrigation systems on the Island of Hawaii are properly maintained and remain operational.
The measure accomplishes this purpose by:
(1) Providing funds for improvements to both the Lower Hamakua irrigation ditch system and the Waimea irrigation ditch system on the island of Hawaii; and
(2) Reimbursing the irrigation system revolving fund for the expenses incurred as a result of the October, 2006, earthquake.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Big Island Farm Bureau, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, J & D Farm, and the Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
Water is essential to agricultural production. Irrigation systems that were developed to support plantation agriculture continue to remain vital to many of Hawaii's diversified farms. Big Island growers who use water from the Lower Hamakua irrigation ditch system and the Waimea irrigation ditch system continue to be negatively impacted by damage to those systems caused by the October, 2006, earthquake. As a result of the earthquake, the Department of Agriculture used funds from the Irrigation System Revolving Fund to pay for expenses, including the costs of hiring personnel for earthquake damage assessment, contractors, pumping, materials, supplies, and equipment.
The Lower Hamakua irrigation ditch system and the Waimea irrigation ditch system sustained damage as a result of the earthquake. Currently, the movement of water through these damaged irrigation systems is made possible by temporary repairs that must be replaced with more permanent repairs if the systems are to return to full capacity. Your Committee finds that funding for repair and maintenance of the Lower Hamakua and Waimea irrigation ditch systems will provide growers with reliable sources of irrigation water. Your Committee further finds that the Irrigation System Revolving Fund needs to be reimbursed so that funds will continue to be available for the repair and maintenance of Hawaii's irrigation systems.
Your Committee believes that this measure will support the continued expansion of diversified agriculture in the State and provide the necessary funding for the repair and maintenance of irrigation systems, which Hawaii farmers heavily rely upon for their agricultural productivity, fulfills this purpose.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Combining sections 2 and 3 for a combined appropriation for the repair and maintenance of both the Lower Hamakua and Waimea irrigation ditch systems on the Big Island;
(2) Changing the blank appropriation amount for the repair and maintenance of the irrigation systems to a sum of $3,500,000;
(3) Changing the blank appropriation amount for deposit into the irrigation system revolving fund to a sum of $150,000; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
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. 845, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 845, 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,
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____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair |
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