STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2075

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2168

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2168 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide funds to the counties for the identification and mapping of important agricultural lands, as part of the implementation of Act 183, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Planning; State Land Use Commission; Hawai‘i State Association of Counties; Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura of the Maui County Council; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu; O‘ahu County Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and one individual.

Your Committees find that the proposed measure offers appropriate incentives for counties to complete their important agricultural lands identification and mapping process. Your Committees recognize the significant public involvement and coordination with various stakeholders and groups necessary to complete the process, and support providing adequate funding for a quality end product. Your Committees further find that this measure will aid the completion of the county mapping process in preparation for the subsequent designation of important agricultural lands by the Land Use Commission, and allow the owners and farmers of these lands to have access to the important agricultural land incentives in support of agricultural production.

Your Committees received testimony stating that the County of Kauai has already completed its mapping studies and the City and County of Honolulu is nearing completion of its identification and mapping. Accordingly, your Committees recommend that as this measure moves through the legislative process, your Committee on Ways and Means consider the Office of Planning's question of whether grants-in-aid to the County of Kauai and the City and County of Honolulu may be used for reimbursement of work that has already been completed.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2168 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair