STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 1 2025
RE: S.R. No. 184
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to
which was referred S.R. No. 184 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY M7\NAGEMENT
AGENCY TO IDENTIFY EXISTING LARGE TREES ALONG EVACUATION
ROUTES AND TRIM, SPRAY, OR REMOVE TREES HAVING THE POTENTIAL
TO OBSTRUCT THE EVACUATION ROUTE; CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE RISK
ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIFIC HIGH-RISK TREES; IMPLEMENT BEST
PRACTICES IN URBTUJ FORESTRY; AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY-BASED
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to identify existing large
trees along evacuation routes and trim, spray, or remove trees
having the potential to obstruct the evacuation route; conduct
comprehensive risk assessments for specific high-risk trees;
implement best practices in urban forestry; and strengthen
community-based disaster preparedness initiatives.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from one individual.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this
measure from Life of the Land.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the
Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
Your Committee finds that ensuring evacuation routes are
clear and accessible during times of emergency and ensuring
community readiness for natural disasters is critical to public
safety. Your Committee further finds that urban forestry is
important to the proper maintenance of plant life in the State,
including the management of trees and root systems that grow close
to evacuation routes. Accordingly, this measure requests that the
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency appropriately address the
hazards posed by large trees having the potential to obstruct
evacuation routes and encourages best practices in maintaining
trees and enhancing community-based approaches to disaster
awareness and readiness.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached
to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose
of S.R. No. 184 and recommends its adoption.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Public Safety and
Military Affairs,
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 The Senate
Thirty-Third Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs
PSM
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
ASM
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, thpn the previous decision was to;___________________________________
The RecielfTimendation is:
Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye yZ ■ Aye(WR) Nay Excused
ELEFANTE, Brandon J.C. (C)
WAKAI. Glenn (VC)
FUKUNAGA, Carol
RHOADS. Karl
DECORTE. Samantha
z
TOTAL ^77
Recommendation: / /
y Adopted __ Not Adopted^
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature~^^>^^/^
Distribution: Original I ^ow J Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report\ Cl^s OffiQi? Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measuile^er Record of Votes
Revised: 12/09/24