REPORT TITLE:
Forests


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the forest stewardship fund for reforestation and
maintenance of harvested plantation areas, enhancement of public
forest reserves, and development of environmental education and
training programs for the public. (HB424 HD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        424
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO FOREST RESERVES.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that a sustainable forest
 
 2 products industry can help revitalize rural economies and expand
 
 3 local business activities after the downsizing of Hawaii's sugar
 
 4 industry.  This can be done without compromise, and in fact,
 
 5 enhance the watershed and native resource values of Hawaii's
 
 6 public forest reserves.
 
 7      Responsible management and utilization of public forest
 
 8 resources are integral components of a sustainable forest
 
 9 products industry.  The forest reserve system was set up to be as
 
10 self-sustaining as possible, but public land managers have been
 
11 using revenue from timber and other forest products to fund
 
12 essential forest management work.  Existing budgets allow for
 
13 only sixty acres per year to be harvested and reforested
 
14 sustainably.  Thus, the commercial management of public forests
 
15 makes little contribution to the recovery and growth of Hawaii's
 
16 economy.  Reforestation and other essential forest management
 
17 projects must be funded if sustainable commercial harvesting
 
18 operations are to contribute significantly to the management of
 
19 the forest reserve system and to the economy.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The legislature further finds that a portion of the value
 
 2 derived from the use of existing forest resources should be
 
 3 reinvested in order to reforest and manage harvested areas and to
 
 4 more effectively manage other forest resources within the forest
 
 5 reserve system.  Revenues derived from the harvest of plantation
 
 6 and naturalized non-native forest resources can support the
 
 7 reforestation and management of harvested areas, and also
 
 8 contribute to the enhanced management of native forest resources
 
 9 and critical watersheds.  Furthermore, harvesting operations will
 
10 create jobs and demand for value-added processing facilities.
 
11 This can all be accomplished without negatively impacting
 
12 existing general funds or existing native forest resources.
 
13      The purpose of this Act is to:
 
14      (1)  Provide for the reforestation and maintenance of timber
 
15           management areas on state lands;
 
16      (2)  Enhance the management of public forest reserves in
 
17           order to improve Hawaii's natural environment and
 
18           economy; and
 
19      (3)  Develop environmental education and training programs
 
20           for the public.
 
21      The purposes set forth are intended to be funded through the
 
22 reinvestment of income derived from the harvesting of forest
 
23 products from state lands and the sale of tree seedlings from
 
24 state nurseries.
 

 
Page 3                                                     424
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  Section 183-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "§183-16  Income from forest reserve.  (a)  Any moneys
 
 4 accrued:
 
 5      (1)  From the harvest of nonnative forest products from
 
 6           forest reserves;
 
 7      (2)  From the harvest of native forest products from forest
 
 8           reserves;
 
 9      (3)  From forest products found dead and lying on the
 
10           ground; or
 
11      (4)  From the sale of tree seedlings from state nurseries;
 
12 shall be deposited into the forest stewardship fund.
 
13      [In case any] (b)  Any other moneys [accrue] accrued from
 
14 any forest reserve[,] or the products thereof[, or the sale of
 
15 tree seedlings from state nurseries, the moneys] shall be
 
16 deposited [with the state director of finance to the credit of]
 
17 into the general fund."
 
18      SECTION 3.  Section 195F-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
19 amended to read as follows:
 
20      "[[]§195F-3[]]  Establishment of the forest stewardship
 
21 program.  (a)  There is established a forest stewardship program
 
22 to be administered by the board to assist private landowners in
 
23 managing, protecting, and restoring important watersheds, native
 

 
Page 4                                                     424
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 vegetation, timber resources, fish and wildlife habitats,
 
 2 isolated populations of rare and endangered plants, and other
 
 3 lands that are not recognized as potential natural area reserves.
 
 4      (b)  The program shall reimburse landowners for a portion of
 
 5 the landowners' total costs in developing and implementing
 
 6 approved forest stewardship management plans[, as set forth in]
 
 7 pursuant to this chapter.
 
 8      (c)  The program shall assist in the forest stewardship of
 
 9 public lands and in developing education and training programs
 
10 for sustainable forestry pursuant to section 195F-4(a)(2)."
 
11      SECTION 4.  Section 195F-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
12 amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
 
13      "(a)  There is established a special fund within the state
 
14 treasury known as the forest stewardship fund [from which
 
15 payments] which shall be used as follows:
 
16      (1)  Payments shall be made by the board pursuant to
 
17           agreements entered into with qualified landowners to
 
18           further the purposes of this chapter[.]; and
 
19      (2)  Moneys collected from the harvest of non-native forest
 
20           products from forest reserves, from the harvest of
 
21           native forest products from forest reserves, from
 
22           forest products found dead and lying on the ground, or
 
23           from the sale of tree seedlings from the state
 
24           nurseries, shall be used for the following activities:
 

 
Page 5                                                     424
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           (A)  Replanting, managing, and maintaining designated
 
 2                timber management areas;
 
 3           (B)  Enhancing the management of public forest reserves
 
 4                with an emphasis on restoring degraded koa
 
 5                forests; and
 
 6           (C)  Developing environmental education and training
 
 7                programs pertaining to sustainable forestry;
 
 8           provided that funding for the purposes described in
 
 9           subparagraphs (B) and (C) may not occur unless the
 
10           activities described in approved management plans
 
11           pertaining to subparagraph (A) are adequately funded."
 
12      SECTION 5.  Section 195F-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
13 amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:
 
14      "(e)  The board shall submit annually a detailed report to
 
15 the governor and legislature [setting forth] that shall:
 
16      (1)  Identify management objectives that have been
 
17           completed[,] on private lands resulting from payments
 
18           made pursuant to section 195F-4(a)(1) and provide an
 
19           analysis of problems and issues encountered in meeting
 
20           or failing to meet objectives as set forth in the
 
21           management plans[, the financial condition of the fund,
 
22           and management objectives for the next year.];
 

 
 
 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (2)  Identify all reforestation, forest management,
 
 2           education, and training objectives that have been
 
 3           completed as a result of any expenditures made pursuant
 
 4           to section 195F-4(a)(2);
 
 5      (3)  Describe the financial condition of the fund, including
 
 6           receipts and expenditures from the previous fiscal
 
 7           year; and
 
 8      (4)  Set forth plans and management objectives for the next
 
 9           fiscal year."
 
10      SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
11 New statutory material is underscored.
 
12      SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.