STAND. COM. REP. NO.  528

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1042

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1042 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support the counties in fulfilling their statutory mandate to identify and map potential important agricultural lands within their respective jurisdictions by appropriating funds for grants to each county to identify and map important agricultural lands.  

The Department of Agriculture, Land Use Commission, Office of the Mayor of Maui, Maui County Department of Planning, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting supported this measure with amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1042 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair