STAND. COM. REP. NO.  908-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.R. No. 59

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No. 59 entitled:

 

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING STATE DEPARTMENTS TO USE TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN NAMES WHEN IDENTIFYING FISHPONDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this resolution is to ensure the restoration of Hawaiian fishponds by requesting state departments to use traditional Hawaiian names when identifying fishponds.

 

     The Pacific American Foundation, Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center, Kawai Nui Heritage Foundation, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this resolution.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the Kanaka Council Moku O Keawe provided comments.

 

     Your Committee was informed by DLNR that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is currently updating a surface water database that will be used nationwide, and that DLNR will confirm with USGS the feasibility of including the traditional Hawaiian names in this database.  Your Committee finds that inclusion of the traditional Hawaiian names in this database will further enhance this measure by ensuring that the traditional Hawaiian names are used consistently to refer to these fishponds.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this resolution by inserting a request for DLNR to work with USGS and the Hawaii Board on Geographic Names to ensure that that the traditional Hawaiian names of fishponds are used in the USGS' update of the official map or database of surface waters for Hawaii. 

 

     Your Committee has further amended this measure by including many Hawaiian organizations to the distribution list in an effort to solicit their assistance and cooperation in correctly identifying fishponds by their traditional Hawaiian names. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 59, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 59, H.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair