STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2873

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 19

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Transportation and Energy and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 19 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO LANDSCAPE HAWAII'S PUBLIC HIGHWAYS AND ROADS BY PLANTING MORE TREES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the State Department of Transportation and Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu to landscape Hawaii's public highways and roads by planting more trees.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Aha Moku Advisory Committee, Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Aloha Arborist Association, Ko‘olaupoku Hawaiian Civic Club, and five individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Transportation.

     Your Committees find that the reputation of Hawaii as a paradise is vital to the State's tourism industry and in turn the State's economy.  Many visitors to Hawaii expect a clean, green, and beautiful Hawaii with lush greenery.  The lush beauty of Hawaii should be promoted, preserved, and perpetuated as part of a unique visitor experience.  Trees are essential to a healthy environment for Hawaii, and increasing the number of trees planted in Hawaii would improve Hawaii's natural beauty.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language to reference the importance of indigenous or endemic trees and plants as part of the visitor experience, as well as their importance to Native Hawaiians and indigenous animals and birds;

     (2)  Adding language to clarify that the reputation of Hawaii as a paradise is vital to the Native Hawaiian culture;

     (3)  Replacing references to the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu with the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City and County of Honolulu based on testimony indicating that it is the entity responsible for planting trees on city streets; and

     (4)  Requesting that the trees planted include trees that are indigenous or endemic to Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Energy and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 19, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 19, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Energy and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair