STAND. COM. REP. NO 97

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 690

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 690 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to increase staff capacity in the Division of Forestry and Wildlife for habitat conservation.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, and Americans for Democratic Action Hawai‘i.

     Your Committee finds that habitat conservation plans, safe harbor agreements, incidental take licenses, and subsequent actions are essential to increasing the population of threatened and endangered species in Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that there has been an increase in applications and proposals for habitat conservation plans and safe harbor agreements and additional staff is needed at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife to effectively manage, monitor, and implement the plans, agreements, and other projects that are extremely beneficial to the recovery of threatened and endangered species in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 690 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 and Land,

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair