STAND. COM. REP. NO.  172

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1342

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1342 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL AND CUSTOMARY PRACTICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a pilot project at Makua Beach, Oahu and an area on Hawaii Island that will designate areas in public parks for planting and growing coconut trees for the practice of traditional Hawaiian customary gathering rights.

Ho‘omana Pono, LLC. and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 31, 2150, to encourage further discussion.

     Your Committees note that there were concerns raised regarding safety and the locations of the project.  Your Committees note that the locations designated in the measure for project implementation are preferred by your Committee.  However, should your Committee on Water and Land further deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it address these concerns.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1342, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1342, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ KANIELA ING, Chair

____________________________ RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair