STAND. COM. REP. NO. 104-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2033

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2033 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife (Division) to purchase firefighting equipment.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Hawaii State Fire Council; Honolulu Fire Department; Maui Fire Department; Hawai‘i Fire Department; and one individual.

According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Division is the primary responder for wildland fires across 1,368,002 acres of the State's forested watersheds, which represents twenty-five percent of the land area in the State. As a result of climate change and associated droughts, the area in the State that has burned annually has grown in past decades. The Department noted the Division needs funds to modernize specialized equipment and vehicles, which are also used to assist the counties during natural disasters.

Your Committee supports the efforts of the Division in responding to fires and natural disasters through an appropriation to the Department.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2033, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2033, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair