SB2236

Report Title:

Forest Industry; Replant Harvested Tree Farms with Native Trees

 

Description:

Requires owners of tree farms to replant harvested properties with native trees.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2236
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to tree farms.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 186-5.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) The owner of land shall have the right to harvest new trees generated according to a management plan approved by the department on lands within the agricultural district as provided by section 186-2(a)(1), or on degraded forest and pasture lands within the conservation district and zoned for commercial forest use as provided by section 186-2(a)(2); provided that [this]:

(1) This right shall be subject to the power of the State to protect health, safety, and welfare[.]; and

(2) Harvested tree farm properties shall only be replanted with native tree species according to a management plan approved by the department under section 186-3."

2. By amending subsection (c) to read:

"(c) As used in this section[, "degraded]:

"Degraded forests" means areas which have had considerable disturbance, are altered from their natural state, and contain less than twenty per cent crown canopy of native tree species.

"Native tree species" means tree species that are endemic or indigenous to Hawaii."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________