STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1061

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 691

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 691, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR THE STATEWIDE TRAIL AND ACCESS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish administrative and criminal penalties for violations of statutory provisions on rules relating to the statewide trails and access program.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Your Committee finds that there is increasing recreational pressure – both public and commercial – for use of public access roads and trails. A commercial permit process has been established, but compliance is problematic, and there are large numbers of tour operators that have not applied for or received a permit. One of the primary reasons such abuse continues is due to the lack of penalties. The establishment of administrative and criminal penalties is an appropriate way to deter illegal activities relating to the statewide trails and access program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 691, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair