Neil Abercrombie: “I support S. 1694, the Hawaii Water Resources Development Act and urge its passage. The legislation authorizes the…”

“I support S. 1694, the Hawaii Water Resources Development Act and urge its passage. The legislation authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to undertake a study of the reclamation and reuse of water and wastewater in Hawaii. The Bureau is to survey irrigation and water delivery systems, identifying the costs of rehabilitating systems and evaluating future water demand. Much of Hawaii is experiencing a major drought. Sugar, long the dominant agricultural product of Hawaii, is rapidly ending as a viable commercial enterprise, freeing vast quantities of water previously devoted to irrigation. Both factors result in the need to determine prudent use of existing water resources to meet future demands. In the last 10 years, 96 sugar farms and plantations have closed and only two substantial plantations remain in commercial production. Over 130,000 of 180,000 acres previously in sugar cane production is now idle. Although economic dislocations have resulted, it also affords Hawaii the first opportunity in more than a century to diversify the agricultural sector of our economy. Diversified agriculture is now growing at 5.5% annual rate, surpassing $300 million in value. Vast tracts of some of the most productive land in the world, however, remain empty and idle. The availability of water will be a key factor in determining how these lands will be used for generations to come.”