STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1457

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 209

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 209 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO IDENTIFY EXISTING LARGE TREES ALONG EVACUATION ROUTES AND TRIM, SPRAY, OR REMOVE TREES HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO OBSTRUCT THE EVACUATION ROUTE; CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIFIC HIGH-RISK TREES; IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES IN URBAN FORESTRY; AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to identify existing large trees along evacuation routes and trim, spray, or remove trees having the potential to obstruct the evacuation route; conduct comprehensive risk assessments for specific high-risk trees; implement best practices in urban forestry; and strengthen community-based disaster preparedness initiatives.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Life of the Land.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that ensuring evacuation routes are clear and accessible during times of emergency and ensuring community readiness for natural disasters is critical to public safety. Your Committee further finds that urban forestry is important to the proper maintenance of plant life in the State, including the management of trees and root systems that grow close to evacuation routes. Accordingly, this measure requests that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency appropriately address the hazards posed by large trees having the potential to obstruct evacuation routes and encourages best practices in maintaining trees and enhancing community-based approaches to disaster awareness and readiness.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 209 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

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BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair