STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1222

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 454

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 454, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KAHOOLAWE ISLAND RESERVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to support native dryland forest restoration, management, and maintenance on Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission, County of Maui, Aha Moku Advisory Committee, Ocean Tourism Coalition, EcoTipping Points Project, and twenty-two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

Your Committee finds that prior military use of Kaho‘olawe has greatly impacted the native dryland forest of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve. Ongoing restoration efforts include data collection on species currently living in the Reserve, monitoring of threats to the ecosystem and its species, reforestation and re-vegetation of portions of the island, erosion control systems, and replacement of alien plant species with native species. Your Committee finds it necessary to provide adequate funding to support native dryland forest restoration, management, and maintenance on Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve.

Your Committee has amended this measure by moving language that details the appropriation from the purpose section to the appropriation section.

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 H.B. No. 454, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 454, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

________________________________

KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair