STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1089-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2906

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2906 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SECTION 13 OF ACT 380, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 1997,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently allow the use of new safe harbor agreements, habitat conservation plans, and incidental take licenses as recovery options for conserving and protecting the State's threatened and endangered species.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources and Land Use Research Foundation supported this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism supported the measure with amendments.  The Conservation Council for Hawaii submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to submit to the Legislature a biennial report that details the number and kinds of safe harbor agreements approved and for which approval is pending as well as summary information regarding these safe harbor agreements.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2906, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2906, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair