STAND. COM. REP. NO.1591

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.C.R. No. 157

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 157, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION FORMALIZING THE ONGOING EFFORTS OF THE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP IN ADDRESSING THE MANDATE OF ARTICLE XI, SECTION 3 OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND RELATED AGRICULTURAL AND LAND ISSUES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to formally recognize the Agriculture Working Group, which is a diverse group of land use stakeholders that has been working since 2001 to advance agricultural activity in the State and to address two mandates of Article XI, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution: to promote diversified agriculture, and to increase agricultural self-sufficiency.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii and the Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii. Oral testimony in support of this measure was given by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

Your Committee finds that this measure requests the Agriculture Working Group to continue assisting the State and Legislature to fulfill the constitutional mandates of conserving and protecting agricultural lands, promoting diversified agriculture, increasing agricultural self-sufficiency, assuring the availability of agriculturally sustainable lands, and establishing the standards and criteria by which important agricultural lands are to be identified and the conditions under which these lands may be subsequently reclassified and rezoned.

Your Committee finds that the measure requests that the Office of Planning provide support to the Agriculture Working Group by preparing proposed legislation for consideration in the 2004 Regular Session. Because the transfer of the Office of Planning from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is no longer foreseeable for this fiscal year, your Committee requests that the Administration and DBEDT work with the Office of Planning to assure that the Agriculture Working Group fulfills the actions called for in this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 157, H.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair