STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1609

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 20

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 20 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO MANAGE THE WAI‘ANAE KAI FOREST AND RESTORE WATER FLOW IN WAI‘ANAE STREAMS FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL AND CUSTOMARY PRACTICES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WAI‘ANAE KAI WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS PLAN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure water flow from the perched aquifers located in the upper reaches of the Wai‘anae Watershed for Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices;

(2) Urge efforts to implement the Wai‘anae Kai wildfire preparedness plan; and

(3) Request that the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, continue to effectively manage the Wai‘anae Kai Forest Reserve and restore the recently burned forest areas from the August 2018 fire with native trees and shrubs.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Ke One O Kākuhihewa, O‘ahu County Democrats, and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committees find that the Wai‘anae community has shown a strong interest in restoring stream flow in order to provide for native aquatic species habitat, local small-scale farming and irrigation, and the revitalization of cultural practices in the Wai‘anae watershed. Your Committees further find that Wai‘anae is one of the areas most susceptible to wildfires in the State. Restoring the Wai‘anae Kai Forest Reserve and ensuring a healthy Wai‘anae watershed will lead to continuous mauka-to-makai stream flow to enable agricultural use as well as increased fire prevention and restoration of native trees and shrubs.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 20 and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Hawaiian Affairs,

________________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair