69
THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON ESTABLISHING WATER RESOURCE
    MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS THAT UTILIZE COMMUNITY-BASED
    RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOP WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
    POLICIES.


 1        WHEREAS, in recent years, issues relating to water
 2   resource management on all islands of the State of Hawaii have
 3   arisen; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, as the State's population grows, so too does the
 6   strain on each island's limited natural resources; and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, it is critical that Hawaii residents have a
 9   constant and continuous source of water for both potable and
10   nonpotable uses; and
11   
12        WHEREAS, many communities have voiced interest in
13   developing and implementing community-based, water resource
14   management districts which would be based on the ancient
15   Hawaiian ahupuaa system of land and resource management; and
16   
17        WHEREAS, under this concept, the Commission on Water
18   Resource Management would empower citizens to form local
19   watershed resource management district councils to facilitate
20   productive interaction between residents and other land
21   occupiers within the watershed, nongovernmental agencies with
22   expertise in water resource management, and governmental
23   agencies; and
24   
25        WHEREAS, if implemented, this form of resource management
26   decision making would result in the development of a common
27   vision for the users of a designated local watershed resource
28   management district and establish a mechanism by which
29   community-based recommendations for watershed resource
30   management may be delivered to public policymaking agencies;
31   now, therefore,
32   
33        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
34   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
35   Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and
36   Natural Resources is requested to conduct a feasibility study

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   on the implementation of water resource management districts
 2   that utilize community-based recommendations to determine water
 3   allocations and other resource management-related issues; and
 4   
 5        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and
 6   Natural Resources is requested to report findings and
 7   recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days
 8   before the Regular Session of 2001; and
 9   
10        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
11   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the
12   Commission on Water Resource Management, the Mayor and the City
13   Council of the City and County of Honolulu, the Mayor and the
14   County Council of the County of Hawaii, the Mayor and the
15   County Council of the County of Maui, and the Mayor and the
16   County Council of the County of Kauai.