STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1757

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.R. No. 191

      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 Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.R. No. 191 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES FOR STATE-OWNED IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF SUCH LANDS FOR CRITICALLY-NEEDED AGRICULTURAL AND DAIRY PRODUCTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to request the Department of Agriculture to identify priorities for State-owned Important Agricultural Lands (IALs) to maximize the use of these lands for critically-needed agriculture and dairy production.

Testimony in support of this resolution was submitted by several concerned individuals and Ho'oluana Nursery. The Department of Agriculture and concerned individual both provided comments.

Your Committee understands that the State of Hawaii needs dairy operations in order to facilitate the transition towards self-sustainability. With the ongoing demise of dairy farms across State, many of our locally grown value-added products have disappeared as well.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the paragraphs referencing important agricultural lands;

(2)  Changing the purpose of this measure by requesting that the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, identify state-owned agricultural lands suitable for dairies to maximize the likelihood that the land can be used as pastures by dairies for milk production;

(3)  Requesting that the Department of Agriculture submit a report to the legislature 20 days prior to the convening of the next legislative session;

(4)  Requesting that certified copies of this measure also be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Department of Health, and the Chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

(5)  Further amending the measure by changing the title to reflect the new purpose of the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 191, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 191, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair