House Floor Written Comments on HB 3068 HD3

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
House Floor Written Comments Entered Into the House Journal
House Bill 3068, House Draft 3
Kunia Special Agricultural District
Tuesday, March 7, 2006

I rise in support.

With the drastic increase in urban development in central and leeward Oahu, valuable agricultural lands must be protected. The Kunia agriculture lands bounded by Farrington Highway to the South, Kipapa Gulch and Kamehameha highway to the East, Wheeler Airforce base and Schofield Barracks to the North, and Makakilo Drive, the Makakilo residential urban district, and the Honouliuli forest reserve to the West is considered to be one of the best, if not the best agricultural lands in the State.

House Bill 3068 would establish the Kunia Special Agricultural District (District) and require the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) to acquire public and private lands within the District for the development of agricultural projects and project facilities. The measure appropriates funds into the Hawaii Agricultural Development Revolving Fund to enable ADC to carry out this mission. Lastly, there is a low interest loan program in this bill to help entrepreneurs in the agricultural industry.