STAND. COM. REP. NO. 567

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 283

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 283 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUSTAINABILITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to incorporate the definitions, guiding principles, and goals of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan, into the Hawaii State Planning Act, codified as chapter 266, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as recommended by the University of Hawaii Social Sciences Public Policy Center.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, The Nature Conservancy, United States Green Building Council Hawaii Chapter, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Office of Planning of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism; and Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii.

 

     In 2008, the Legislature adopted Act 225, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, directing the University of Hawaii Social Sciences Public Policy Center to review the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan and provide a definitive framework for the Plan, including defined data, data sources, and benchmarks for each of the major goals of the Plan.  One of the Center's recommendations is to incorporate the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan's goals and definition of sustainability into the Hawaii State Planning Act, chapter 226, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Your Committee finds that achieving sustainability in Hawaii requires a plan of action with clearly defined objectives and benchmarks.  Your Committee further finds that the codification of the guiding elements of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan under this measure takes an important step toward realizing the vision of a sustainable Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee notes a concern raised in testimony regarding the need to clarify that using the ahupuaa system to guide resource management decisions is not intended to prohibit or impede state and county resource management decisions that are based on the welfare of and benefit to an entire island or the entire State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure accordingly by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that one of the principles of sustainability shall be the consideration of, rather than the mandatory observance of, the principles of the ahupuaa system; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 283, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 283, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair