STAND. COM. REP. NO. 178

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 424
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred
H.B. No. 424 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOREST RESERVES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the management of
forestry resources by: 
     1.   Providing for the reforestation and maintenance of
          harvested plantation areas on state lands;
     2.   Enhancing the management of public forest reserves in
          order to improve Hawaii's natural environment and
          economy; and
     3.   Developing environmental education and training
          programs for the public.

     Your Committee received testimony as follows:

     1.   Board of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Forest
          Industry Association, Hawaii Society of American
          Foresters, C.A.M. Resource Management, Nature
          Conservancy of Hawaii, in support; 

     2.   Sierra Club in opposition; and 

     3.   University of Hawaii Environmental Center, offering
          comment.  

     Your Committee finds that forestry is one of the fastest
growing segments of diversified agriculture.  In addition, many
of our native plants are displaced by non-native species and some
forest areas are cluttered by dead native trees blown down by
storms.  Harvest of these products will not only help to
alleviate the burdens on the understaffed forest reserve

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 178
                                 Page 2

 
management personnel, but will expand the sources of income for
the forest stewardship program and give it greater self-
sufficiency.  

     Your Committee revised the bill by:  

     1.   Providing for deposit into the forest stewardship
          special fund of the proceeds from the harvest of non-
          native forest products from forest reserves, the
          harvest of native forest products from forest reserves,
          if found dead and lying on the ground, or the sale of
          tree seedlings from state nurseries; 

     2.   Providing for deposit of any other income into the
          general fund; 

     3.   Directing the forest stewardship program to assist in
          the management of public land and development of
          educational and training programs; 

     4.   Requiring the management efforts on public forest
          reserves to emphasize the restoration of koa forests; 

     5.   Adding to the annual report the identification of
          reforestation, forest management, education and
          training objectives; and 

     6.   Making technical, non-substantive changes for the
          purposes of style and clarity.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 424, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 424, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   Romy M. Cachola, Chair