Bill Text: HI HB1880 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To The Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-06-26 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [HB1880 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-HB1880-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1880 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE KAHOOLAWE ISLAND RESERVE COMMISSION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that additional funding and personnel are needed to support the operations of the Kahoolawe island reserve commission. The commission was established by the legislature in 1993 to address ecological and environmental damage caused to Kahoolawe by United States Navy live fire training exercises. The legislature has previously recognized the significant cultural and historical importance of Kahoolawe to the native people of Hawaii. Additional funding is needed to support the commission's efforts to restore the island, protect endangered and rare flora and fauna, and ensure the safety of visitors to the Kahoolawe island reserve.
The legislature further finds that on February 22, 2020, a fire began on the western end of Kahoolawe. Firefighting crews were unable to actively fight the fire because of the danger of unexploded ordnance still present on the island. Since Kahoolawe was returned to the State in 1994, about sixty-five per cent of the island has been cleared of surface unexploded ordnance while ten per cent has been cleared to a depth of four feet. The remaining twenty-five per cent or 6,690 acres are uncleared. During the first days of the fire, the blaze swept past the Kahoolawe island reserve commission's base camp located on the western end of the island. The terrain on the western end of Kahoolawe consists of invasive non-native grasses and kiawe shrublands. The highly fire‑susceptible, non-native grasses greatly contributed to the intensity of the fire.
The immediate indications were that most of the base camp was spared major fire damage. In the later days of the fire, the fire reversed course and swept back through the Kahoolawe island reserve commission's upland storage facility causing the complete loss of several buildings, including all of the restoration and planting equipment, supplies, and materials stored at this site. Additionally, the fire destroyed the construction equipment, trucks, all-terrain vehicles, and watercraft that were also stored at this site. After six days and over nine thousand acres of Kahoolawe burned (approximately one third of the island), the weather eventually turned, and rain was able to extinguish the fire.
The purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Appropriate funds to the department of land and natural resources for the operations of the Kahoolawe island reserve commission and for two full-time support positions; and
(2) Appropriate funds to the Kahoolawe island reserve commission for fire recovery efforts.
SECTION 2. 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 2020-2021 for the operations of the Kahoolawe island reserve commission.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
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 2020-2021 for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions to support the Kahoolawe island reserve commission.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,400,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for Kahoolawe island reserve commission's fire recovery efforts; provided that the funds be allocated as follows:
(1) $400,000 for construction equipment including a small backhoe and frontend loader, a small bulldozer, a small telehandler, and a powered chipper for rebuilding and maintaining Kahoolawe infrastructure and restoration capabilities;
(2) $200,000 for replacement vehicles including all-terrain vehicles and heavy-duty trucks for moving people and field equipment on Kahoolawe;
(3) $500,000 for planning, design and construction of a replacement field storage facility;
(4) $200,000 for building and restoration materials, supplies, and services for increased fire protection of current Kahoolawe island reserve commission facilities and to begin large scale fire recovery efforts of the burnt grasslands; and
(5) $100,000 for transportation and shipping services to move replacement equipment, materials and supplies to Kahoolawe.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Kahoolawe island reserve commission for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. The appropriation made in section 4 shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal biennium for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2022, shall lapse as of that date.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
DNLR;
Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates
funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the operations of the
Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission and for 2 full-time equivalent positions to
support the Commission. Appropriates
funds to the Kahoolawe island reserve commission for fire recovery efforts. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
