STAND. COM. REP. NO.  340-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2177

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2177 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY FOOD FORESTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a community food forest program in the Department of Land and Natural Resources to work with county agencies and community-based citizen groups to develop a network of community food forests that use underutilized public land to provide access to fresh, healthy produce throughout the State.

The Kohala Center-HISGN, Puna Pono Alliance, Ho‘okipa Network – Kauai, Babes Against Biotech, Ohana O Kaua‘i, and many individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and three individuals submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the Department may lease public land designated for community food forests to county agencies or community-based citizen organizations so that local agencies or organizations can assume the management and maintenance of community food forests in their communities; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2177, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2177, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair