STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2167

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2906

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. 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 and intent of this measure is to remove the sunset date of Act 380, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, as amended, 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.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power.

     Your Committee finds that, as the endangered species capital of the world, Hawaii needs flexibility in its laws to ensure state and federal agencies and private landowners can work cooperatively to protect and conserve endangered species while allowing for responsible development activities and economic growth.  Your Committee further finds that safe harbor agreements, habitat conservation plans, and incidental take licenses have proven to be invaluable tools in the process of recovering the State's endangered species and that it is therefore imperative that these tools remain available options.

     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. 2906 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair