STAND. COM. REP. NO. 400

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 736

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water, Land, and Housing and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 736 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Create a temporary Advisory Task Force on the Preservation of Important Agricultural Lands; and

 

     (2)  Direct the Task Force to study and report to the Legislature on various issues relating to Important Agricultural Lands.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Alexander and Baldwin, Inc.; Poamoho Organic Produce; and Windward Ahupuaa Alliance.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

 

     Your Committees finds that although article XI, section 3 of the Hawaii State Constitution requires the State to conserve and protect Important Agricultural Lands and increase agricultural self-sufficiency, land used for crops cultivated for biofuel production may be competing with Important Agricultural Lands used for consumable crops.  Your Committees further find that this potential use conflict merits expert study and recommendations to guide future policy-making that would promote and protect Important Agricultural Lands for food production.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Housing and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 736, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 736, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair