STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 1 2025
RE: S.C.R. No. 90
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, to which
was referred S.C.R. No. 90 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AGRIBUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE KOHALA DITCH,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Agribusiness Development Corporation to assume responsibility for
the routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
Your Committee finds that the Kohala Ditch, a twenty-six mile
long irrigation ditch on Hawaii island, has become a vital source
of water for farmers and ranchers in North Kohala, supplying over
five million gallons of water a day. Your Committee further finds
that a rockslide in 2021 damaged the irrigation system, leading to
increased operation costs for farmers and ranchers in the region.
While the Legislature allocated $10 million in 2023 to restore and
reactivate the Kohala Ditch System, that funding has yet to be
utilized for any repairs. Given the critical role the Kohala
Ditch plays in the State's agricultural production, its routine
maintenance and repair must be provided for by the State to
resolve the current damage and avoid future years-long disruptions
to the water supply. The restoration of the Kohala Ditch will
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
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require time, money, and a well-qualified coordinating authority
with knowledge of local infrastructure and the agricultural
industry, as the repairs will require significant cooperation
between the patchwork of private and public land owners that the
irrigation system bisects. Your Committee concludes that the
Agribusiness Development Corporation, whose mandate is to
coordinate and administer programs to assist agricultural
enterprises, is the best agency to undertake these repairs.
Your Committee notes that Act 164, Session Laws of Hawaii
2023 (Act 164), allocated $10 million to be expended by the
Department of Agriculture for the design and construction for
repairs to restore and reactivate the Kohala Ditch System. Your
Committee further notes that currently the funds allocated in
Act 164 have not been released to the Kohala Ditch Co-Op,
Incorporated, the intended grantee, that was formed in 2019 to
manage the Kohala Ditch. Your Committee finds that this issue
raises concerns that merit further consideration including
transferring the $10 million appropriated by Act 164 from the
Department of Agriculture to the Agribusiness Development
Corporation.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development and Tourism that is attached to
this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
S.C.R. No. 90 and recommends its adoption.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Economic
Development and Tourism,
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 The Senate
Thirty-Third Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Economic Development and Tourism
EDT
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:___________________________________
The Recpfnmendation is;
Pass, unamended __ Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312_____________ 2311_______________ 2310________ 2313
Members Aye / Aye (WR) Nay Excused
DECOITE, Lynn (C) z
WAKAI, Glenn (VC) //
FUKUNAGA. Carol v
KIM, Donna Mercado
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL
Recommendation: / f f
\Z Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signaturei^-^^^x*'*^
Distribution: Original 1 /Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report ^zl/lerkz Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one meastfre per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/09/24