STAND. COM. REP. NO. 74

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 330

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 330 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Promote fiscal accountability by requiring the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) to contract with a financial institution to provide lease management services for leases of agricultural land under its control; and

(2) Protect and preserve agricultural lands by:

(A) Requiring ADC to obtain agricultural lands located in Waialua, Oahu, and owned by the Galbraith Estate;

(B) Authorizing ADC to purchase the lands owned by the Galbraith Estate and located in Waialua, Oahu with revenues derived from the issuance of revenue bonds; and

(C) Establishing that agricultural leases on lands in central Oahu obtained under this bill shall be at least 55 years in length.

 

ILWU Local 142, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources supported this measure. The Agribusiness Development Corporation offered comments.

Your Committees recognize that the agricultural land in Waialua is considered to be some of the best agricultural lands in the State, with access to affordable agricultural water and optimum growing conditions for crops. Obtaining these lands for productive agricultural use allows the State to help fulfill constitutional mandates to protect agricultural land and promote farm ownership.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Ocean Resources that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 330 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Ocean Resources,

 

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair

____________________________

FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair