HCR83.DOC

WHEREAS, Act 101, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998, directed the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to complete the Agriculture Water Use and Development Plan (AWUDP); and

WHEREAS, the AWUDP's stated objectives were to:

(1) Inventory the irrigation water systems of the State;

(2) Identify the extent of rehabilitation needed for each system and establish criteria to prioritize such rehablilitation;

(3) Subsidize the cost of repair and maintenance of the government systems;

(4) Develop a five-year program to repair the systems; and

(5) Setup a long-range plan to manage the systems;

and

WHEREAS, the AWUDP was completed in 2003, revised in 2004, and incorporated into the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Commission of Water Resource Management's plan; and

WHEREAS, many existing irrigation water systems already have demand that is equal to or exceeds current capacity, and increased water availability is therefore a key element in enabling the State to increase local agricultural production to, among other things:

(1) Replace imports;

(2) Grow biofuel/bioenergy crops;

(3) Expand diversified agriculture; and

(4) Develop sustainable farms;

and

WHEREAS, to be successful farmers require that water supply be consistent, dependable, and economical; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that DOA is requested to conduct a study that lays the groundwork for further development of the agriculture water development program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this study explore and develop strategies to:

(1) Provide short-term and long-term solutions to the water needs of the agriculture and bio-energy industries;

(2) Provide for DOA's undertaking of Phase II of the agriculture water development program, including, as an initial step, the preparation of a statewide water development study that:

(A) Briefly summarizes the previous, current, and future plans to implement the AWUDP (2004);

(B) Identifies and analyzes for each island, the existing and future water resources that may be developed for agricultural use for commercial farms, surface water capacity, subsurface water capacity, and other water-producing facilities;

(C) Identifies additional support and ancillary facilities, including storage and distribution support for the farming areas;

(D) To the extent feasible, computes the probable range of water demand for the various areas, based on the range of probable agricultural use;

(E) Develops alternatives to implement additional capacity to meet existing and potential future demand for the various farming areas;

(F) Proposes and discusses alternative management concepts for the various water systems;

(G) Uses the Geographical Information System (GIS), using current available data sets, defines what data sets need to be developed, if any, and develops the GIS, in conjunction with the DOA and its specifications for DOA use;

(H) Provides planning-level cost estimates for developing new sources and related supporting and ancillary facilities;

(I) Develops an implementation plan including funding alternatives; and

(J) Summarizes the regulatory framework, including pertinent legal decisions;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOA submit a progress report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOA submit its final report, including findings and recommendations, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2014 Regular Session; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Requests Department of Agriculture to perform a statewide water development study

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	83
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII