HB2721

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the devastation wrought by the deadly wildfires on Maui on August 8, 2023, illustrates the urgency to take action to reduce the risk of wildfires to communities throughout Hawaii and the need to increase capacity within organizations that are already working on fire mitigation across the State.

The legislature further finds that the patchwork of county, state, and private land parcels that dominate the wildland-urban interface around nearly all of Hawaii's communities requires a high degree of planning and coordination to implement fuels mitigation at a scale that would be effective in reducing the risk of wildfire.

Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to establish within the department of land and natural resources a fireshed partnership program.

SECTION 2. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to title 12, subtitle 4, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Chapter

fireshed partnership program

§ -1 Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, "department" means the department of land and natural resources.

§ -2 Fireshed partnership program; established. (a) There is established within the department a fireshed partnership program, to be overseen by a fireshed partnership program coordinator, who shall be exempt from chapter 76.

(b) The fireshed partnership program shall:

(1) Establish a network of fireshed partnerships consisting of agreements among managers of private, county, state, and federal lands within and adjacent to communities under high fire risk to plan and implement fire-risk reduction through fuels management, resource mapping and sharing, and educational exchange;

(2) Leverage the technical expertise of the following entities:

(A) Large-scale fuels management by the division of forestry and wildlife of the department;

(B) Partnership building by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization; and

(3) Identify high-priority lands and landowners, develop "shovel-ready" fuels-reduction projects for contiguous landscape-scale community protection, and provide funding to initiate or expand fuels-reduction efforts and matching funds for federal grant programs.

§ -3 Fireshed management special fund. (a) There is established in the state treasury the fireshed management special fund, into which shall be deposited the following funds:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature for deposit into the fund;

(2) Donations and contributions made by private individuals or organizations for deposit into the fund;

(3) Grants provided by governmental agencies or any other source; and

(4) All interest earned or accrued on moneys deposited in the fund.

(b) Moneys in the fund shall be expended by the division of forestry and wildlife of the department to support positions and contracts to implement fireshed partnerships no later than June 30, 2029, to accomplish the following objectives:

(1) Identify and map fire-related suppression resources, hazardous fuels, vulnerable assets, and the specific landholdings requiring fire risk mitigation;

(2) Develop cross-boundary partnerships and memoranda of understanding among landowners and determine costs and resource-sharing opportunities to plan long-term, spatially-contiguous fuels-mitigation projects at landscape scales; and

(3) Expand and develop multi-use, multi-partner demonstrations of fuels-management strategies, such as grazing, green strips, and fuel breaks, that will reduce risk and educate local leadership and other communities on best practices.

§ -4 Annual report. No later than twenty days before the convening of each regular session, the fireshed partnership program shall submit a report to the legislature concerning its activities and progress."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be deposited into the fireshed management special fund established by section -3, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the fireshed management special fund established by section -3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the establishment and hiring of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) fireshed partnership program coordinator within the department of land and natural resources.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. In accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37‑91 and 37‑93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislature has determined that the appropriations contained in H.B. No. , will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. In addition, the appropriation contained in this Act will cause the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be further exceeded by $ or per cent. The combined total amount of general fund appropriations contained in only these two Acts will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. The reasons for exceeding the general fund expenditure ceiling are that:

(1) The appropriation made in this Act is necessary to serve the public interest; and

(2) The appropriation made in this Act meets the needs addressed by this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2721
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII