STAND. COM. REP. NO.  75

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 710

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water & Land and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 710 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FISHPONDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the restoration of Hawaiian fishponds by requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, the Office of Planning, community organizations, and Native Hawaiian aquaculturalists to collaborate on streamlining the permitting process to restore Hawaiian fishponds.  Specifically, this bill requires the implementation of:

     (1)  One master conservation district use application process applicable to all Hawaiian fishponds;

     (2)  A coastal zone management program consistency statement for Hawaiian fishponds;

     (3)  Water quality certification for Hawaiian fishponds;

     (4)  A general permit that conforms to the requirements for a Hawaiian fishpond pollution discharge elimination system; and

     (5)  Administrative rules.

     This measure also requires a report on the Department of Land and Natural Resources' findings and recommendations for streamlining this permitting process.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Health, and Historic Hawaii Foundation supported this measure.  The Office of Planning of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Honua Consulting provided comments on this measure.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 710 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ FAYE P. HANOHANO, Chair

____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Chair