STAND. COM. REP. NO.1199-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2810

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2810, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF LANDOWNER FOR SAFE HARBOR AGREEMENTS AND HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide the State with the flexibility to develop specific public lands that contain endangered species while utilizing safe harbor agreements and habitat conservation plans to manage these endangered species.

This bill expands the definition of "landowner" as it pertains to safe harbor agreements and habitat conservation plans to include public lands limited to three specific development projects:

(1) North-South Road, Ewa, Oahu;

(2) Cyanotech Corporation incidental take permit and habitat conservation plan; and

(3) Kealakehe planned community.

This bill also clarifies that confidentiality protection is intended for private lands.

The Conservation Council of Hawaii and two members of the Maui County Council testified in support of this measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Earthjustice, and Life of the Land supported the intent of this bill. The Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii, the Estate of James Campbell, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, and the University of Hawaii Environmental Center offered comments. Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, and Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference opposed this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by providing a more complete description of the North-South Road project to include references to the Kapolei Parkway.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2810, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2810, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair