THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 90 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Requesting the agribusiness development corporation to assume responsibility for the routine maintenance and repair of the kohala ditch.
THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 90
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
THE SENATE
S.C.R. NO.
90
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the agribusiness development corporation to assume responsibility for the routine maintenance and repair of the kohala ditch.
WHEREAS, the Kohala Ditch is a twenty-six mile long irrigation ditch originally built on the island of Hawaii in 1906 to supply water to sugarcane plantations in North Kohala; and WHEREAS, the Kohala Ditch has since become a vital source of water for farmers and ranchers in North Kohala, supplying over five million gallons of water a day; and WHEREAS, the agricultural production of these farmers is critical to the State's economy, food resiliency goals, and the cultures and sustenance of many local communities; and WHEREAS, however, a 2021 rockslide damaged a critical flume of the irrigation system and stopped the flow of water; and WHEREAS, without water from the Kohala Ditch, most farmers have been compelled to pay for county water, which costs approximately ten times more per month; and WHEREAS, the resulting increase in operating costs and limited access to water has forced many farmers to scale back production and driven others entirely out of business; and WHEREAS, the restoration of the Kohala Ditch will 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; and WHEREAS, 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 to increase the availability of water for agricultural and aquacultural purposes, as a capital improvement project grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and WHEREAS, 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, due to issues relating to compliance with statutory requirements for grants under chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, the Agribusiness Development Corporation was established by the Legislature in 1994, with statutory mandates to coordinate and administer programs to assist agricultural enterprises to facilitate the transition of agricultural infrastructure from plantation operations into other agricultural enterprises, increase local production of agricultural products for local consumption, reduce the State's reliance on imported agricultural products, and increase access to farmland and related infrastructure for small local farmers and cooperatives; and WHEREAS, the repair and routine maintenance of the Kohala Ditch will further the Agribusiness Development Corporation in fulfilling its statutory mandates; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is requested to assume responsibility for the routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is urged to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the routine maintenance of the Kohala Ditch, that: (1) Includes a schedule for regular inspections, necessary repairs, and upgrades to follow best practices and standards for safety and efficiency; and (2) Is developed in collaboration with the surrounding community and relevant agencies and stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers, businesses, and other users of the Kohala Ditch; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each Regular Session; provided that the report is asked to: (1) Detail any maintenance and repairs to the Kohala Ditch, including any related expenditures; (2) Include an assessment of the current condition of the Kohala Ditch; (3) Include a summary of completed maintenance activities; and (4) Make recommendations for any further improvements; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and President of Kohala Ditch Co-Op, Incorporated. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: ADC; Kohala Ditch; Maintenance and Repairs; Report
WHEREAS, the Kohala Ditch is a twenty-six mile long irrigation ditch originally built on the island of Hawaii in 1906 to supply water to sugarcane plantations in North Kohala; and
WHEREAS, the Kohala Ditch has since become a vital source of water for farmers and ranchers in North Kohala, supplying over five million gallons of water a day; and
WHEREAS, the agricultural production of these farmers is critical to the State's economy, food resiliency goals, and the cultures and sustenance of many local communities; and
WHEREAS, however, a 2021 rockslide damaged a critical flume of the irrigation system and stopped the flow of water; and
WHEREAS, without water from the Kohala Ditch, most farmers have been compelled to pay for county water, which costs approximately ten times more per month; and
WHEREAS, the resulting increase in operating costs and limited access to water has forced many farmers to scale back production and driven others entirely out of business; and
WHEREAS, the restoration of the Kohala Ditch will 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; and
WHEREAS, 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 to increase the availability of water for agricultural and aquacultural purposes, as a capital improvement project grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, 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, due to issues relating to compliance with statutory requirements for grants under chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, the Agribusiness Development Corporation was established by the Legislature in 1994, with statutory mandates to coordinate and administer programs to assist agricultural enterprises to facilitate the transition of agricultural infrastructure from plantation operations into other agricultural enterprises, increase local production of agricultural products for local consumption, reduce the State's reliance on imported agricultural products, and increase access to farmland and related infrastructure for small local farmers and cooperatives; and
WHEREAS, the repair and routine maintenance of the Kohala Ditch will further the Agribusiness Development Corporation in fulfilling its statutory mandates; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is requested to assume responsibility for the routine maintenance and repair of the Kohala Ditch; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is urged to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the routine maintenance of the Kohala Ditch, that:
(1) Includes a schedule for regular inspections, necessary repairs, and upgrades to follow best practices and standards for safety and efficiency; and
(2) Is developed in collaboration with the surrounding community and relevant agencies and stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers, businesses, and other users of the Kohala Ditch; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Agribusiness Development Corporation is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each Regular Session; provided that the report is asked to:
(1) Detail any maintenance and repairs to the Kohala Ditch, including any related expenditures;
(2) Include an assessment of the current condition of the Kohala Ditch;
(3) Include a summary of completed maintenance activities; and
(4) Make recommendations for any further improvements; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and President of Kohala Ditch Co-Op, Incorporated.
OFFERED BY: _____________________________
OFFERED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
ADC; Kohala Ditch; Maintenance and Repairs; Report