STAND. COM. REP. NO. 93

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 446

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 446 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure native Hawaiian representation on the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) by requiring the Governor to appoint one member to BLNR from a list of nominees submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).

OHA, a member of the Maui County Council, Life of the Land, Oahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and Hawaii's Thousand Friends testified in support of this measure. BLNR did not support this measure.

Your Committees find that the Hawaii State Constitution acknowledges an obligation to native Hawaiians. BLNR's decisions concerning land use directly affects native Hawaiians. OHA's responsibilities include the development and coordination of programs and activities relating to native Hawaiians and Hawaiians, and OHA is also responsible for 20 percent of funds from the public land trust for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians. This measure takes a step in providing native Hawaiian representation in land use matters.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 446 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 Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

SCOTT K. SAIKI, Chair

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair