Senate Committee on Ways and Means (WAM) - chair: David Y. Ige, vice chair: Michelle N. Kidani

Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 9:00 a.m.. Conference Room 211

Testifier: Anna Hoover, Legislative Committee Member, LWV of Hawaii

Click here to view SB2782 SD1

Chair Ige and Vice Chair Kidani and committee members, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii supports sufficient funding to protect watershed forest reserve. The Department of Land and Natural Resources Natural Area Reserve program works to project Hawaii’s watersheds to allow for percolation of water to aquifers. As watershed lands diminish or are altered the urgency to protect existing watershed areas increases to protect this most important resource for today and the future. Without recharge there will be no groundwater. The League supports water resource programs and policies that reflect the interrelationships of water quality, water quantity, groundwater and surface water and that address the potential depletion of water supplies. This includes protection of recharge areas for groundwater. Watershed protection needs to happen now before it is too late. Please adequately fund DLNR’s special watershed programs.