STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1245

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1029

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1029 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LIVING PARK PLANNING COUNCILS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal Act 15, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, establishing living park planning councils.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 15, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, in part, establishes a living park planning council to develop a master plan for each state living park that will provide the framework, proposed rules, measurements for success, and planning process to ensure that the living park achieves its purpose and goals.  According to testimony received by your Committee, Act 15 applied specifically to Ahupua‘a ‘O Kahana State Park, the only intact ahupua‘a under the ownership of the State other than the owners of Niihau.  However, after ten years, over eighty meetings, and the retention of a private planning contractor, there has been no progress made on the Ahupua‘a ‘O Kahana State master plan and there has been no further discussion to establish a master plan nor to convene the living park planning council.  Your Committee believes that the living park planning council structure has not proven to be productive for the Ahupua‘a ‘O Kahana State Park and therefore Act 15, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, should be repealed.

 

     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. 1029, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair