STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1471

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.C.R. No. 28

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 28 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A STUDY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY-BASED CARETAKING AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR AREAS OF STATE PARKS THAT CONTAIN HEIAU AND OTHER SACRED SITES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to ensure that state park lands containing heiau and other sacred sites are well-cared for, by requesting the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) to:

(1)  Study how effectively three sacred sites at state parks, selected by OHA, are being cared for; and

(2)  Develop possible solutions to caretaking problems, including the establishment of a community-based caretaking and educational program.

     OHA and a concerned individual supported this concurrent resolution.  The Kawaihapai Ohana and a concerned individual opposed this concurrent resolution.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this concurrent resolution by:

(1)  Requesting that OHA expand and augment, instead of establish, community-based caretaking and educational programs, increase the access and participation of community groups, and conform other aspects of the concurrent resolution to this change;

(2)  Providing that OHA's study and proposed caretaking solutions respect caretaking plans and agreements that are already in place or are being developed for park lands containing sacred sites such as Kahana Valley and Haiku Valley; and

(3)  Amending the title of this concurrent resolution accordingly, to read:  REQUESTING A STUDY OF the care given TO areas of State parks that contain heiau and OTHER sacred sites, AND A PLAN TO SOLVE CARETAKING PROBLEMS BY EXPANDING AND AUGMENTING cOMMUNITY-BASED caretaking AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 28, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 28, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,

____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair