STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2251

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2143

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2143 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation for the Wildfire Management Branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife to support nonprofit organizations that specialize in wildfire preparedness and mitigation programming through grant disbursements.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu Fire Department, County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, The Nature Conservancy, and one individual.

Your Committees find that although wildfires pose serious and far-reaching threats in the State, the Wildfire Management Branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife is severely underfunded and understaffed. Consequently, the Wildfire Management Branch funds and works with the nonprofit, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, to provide programming for the State's wildfire preparedness needs. However, wildfire prevention nonprofits cannot rely on funding annually from the Wildfire Management Branch or from federal grants. This measure will bolster the State's wildfire preparedness by securing funds for the Wildfire Management Branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2143 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair