STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2028

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2139

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2139 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a community-based marine resources grant program and make key positions permanent within the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Planning, Humane Society of the United States, Kua‘āina Ulu ‘Auamo, the Nature Conservancy, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Hawaii Fishing & Boating Association, and seven individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Aha Moku Advisory Committee and the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's people have a long tradition of resource stewardship and strong stewardship values that are essential to reversing resource declines.  Community-based co-management of near shore marine areas, that is, communities working with government, is recognized as an effective tool to increase opportunities for stakeholder involvement, re‑invigorate Hawaii's history and culture of mālama ‘āina, increase voluntary compliance with regulations, and ultimately improve resource conditions and availability for future generations.  Your Committee further finds that efforts need to be devised to bring users and other interests together, rather than further divide them, and to promote tradition and culture not as artifacts to be preserved in books and museums, but as solutions to be practiced as keys to a sustainable future.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting sections 2 and 3, which would have established and funded the community-based marine resources grant program;

     (2)  Amending section 1 to reflect the amended purpose of this measure;

     (3)  Deleting the word "subsistence" from the appropriation in section 4 to establish a community-based fishing area planner to clarify that the planner would support all community-based fishery management programs; and

     (4)  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, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2139, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2139, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair