STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2674

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2782

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to protect the watershed forests that replenish our water supplies and provide other benefits to the State's environment.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Office of the Mayor-Maui County; Department of Water-County of Kauai; The Trust for Public Land; Hawaii Forest Industry Association; The Nature Conservancy; and five individuals.

     Your Committee finds that immediate action is necessary to secure adequate water supply for the State due to hotter, drier conditions and damaged watershed forests that have escalated conflicts over water.  Your Committee finds that the funds appropriated by this measure will help protect forest watersheds and aid in replenishing the water supply.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation amount in Section 2 of this measure to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair