Bill > SB2005

This bill authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources and certain public or private entities to operate "conservation banks," which are sites dedicated to restoring, creating, enhancing, or protecting threatened, endangered, candidate, or proposed species and their habitats, generating "credits" that can be used as "compensatory mitigation" to offset unavoidable harm to these species. Compensatory mitigation is a requirement for entities that receive an "incidental take license" and "habitat conservation plan," which permit limited harm to protected species during development or other activities. The bill also expands the membership of the Endangered Species Recovery Committee to include a representative from the U.S. Geological Survey's Ecosystem Mission Area and requires this committee to review and oversee applications and proposals for conservation banks, ensuring they meet specific performance standards and contribute to species recovery. The bill clarifies definitions related to conservation banking, including terms like "bank sponsor," "conservation bank instrument," and "performance standards," and outlines the process for approving, amending, and revoking conservation bank instruments, with a significant emphasis on the committee's recommendations and the Board of Land and Natural Resources' approval. Finally, it sets an effective date of July 1, 2050.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2005&year=2026