Bills: HB471

Keywords: forest management, wildfire prevention, public lands, Tribal jurisdiction, Fix Our Forests Act, wildfire, forest health, hazardous fuels reduction, fuels treatment, prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, mastication, fuel breaks, fire breaks, wildland-urban interface, WUI, fireshed, fireshed management area, fireshed registry, Fireshed Center

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, which aims to address the ongoing crisis of wildfires exacerbated by climate change and the need for updated forest management practices. Various committee members voiced concerns about past federal management failures and emphasized the necessity for collaborative approaches involving local communities and stakeholders in forest management. As discussions unfolded, there were varying perspectives on the implications of certain provisions in the bill, particularly around regulatory changes and their likely impacts on public participation and environmental reviews.

Transcript Highlights:

• It consisted of hiring a contractor with the proper equipment to come in and cut trees, masticate trees
• Next to the community, we were able to get NRCS, and we masticated 80 acres—completely masticated right
• All masticated, but since the masticator leaves some stumps and wood debris, we weren't able to drive
• They got hired on to do the thinning and the mastication.
• They were masticating, and that's how the fire started.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:28.559> and of the fuels work like masticators and of the fuels work like masticators
• through mastication if it's a restoration project as well.
• go to a pile to be burned or masticated go to a pile to be burned or masticated through<00:26:13.760
• > mastication<00:26:14.320> if<00:26:14.559> it's<00:26:14.720> a through
• mastication if it's a through mastication if it's a restoration<00:26:15.360> project<00:26:16.159

Bills: HB0078, HB0087, SF0070, SF0068, SF0017, SF0043

Keywords: forest health, grant program, state forester, wildfire prevention, environmental conservation, habitat improvement, water development, feasibility studies, appropriations, water management, rehabilitation, irrigation, public works, agricultural supply, municipal water, funding, maintenance projects, tax assessments, state law, forestry management

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of what is remaining is, uh, for example, mastic in under floor tile and insulation wrap within
• So a lot of what is remaining is, uh, for example, mastic in under floor tile and insulation wrap within
• So a lot of what is remaining is, uh, for example, mastic in under floor tile and insulation wrap within
• c> lot of what is remaining is uh for lot of what is remaining is uh for example<00:48:29.760> mastic
• c> under<00:48:31.359> floor<00:48:31.680> tile<00:48:32.800> um example mastic

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• dollars and particularly in demolition where you could get in find a piece of asbestos or whatever mastic
• in find a piece of asbestos or could get in find a piece of asbestos or whatever<00:10:28.120> mastic
• on<00:10:29.160> the<00:10:29.240> foundation,<00:10:29.800> you whatever mastic
• on the foundation, you whatever mastic on the foundation, you can<00:10:30.120> eat<00:10:30.320

Bills: SF0052

Keywords: wildlife management, environmental restoration, funding, invasive species, aquatic ecosystems, native fish, habitat conservation, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• trucks, water tenders, bulldozers, and other equipment used in fuel reduction work like backhoes and masticators
• 09.480> and fuel reduction work like back hose and fuel reduction work like back hose and masticators
• 12.880> the<00:22:13.279> there<00:22:13.520> there's<00:22:13.960> 7.45 masticators
• um the there there's 7.45 masticators um the there there's 7.45 million<00:22:15.320> in<00:22

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 19, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures before taking up decision-making. Senate Bill 1381, relating to the Hawaii National Guard, received support from the Department of Defense and other testifiers and was recommended to pass as is. Senate Bill 422, relating to education and high school diplomas for veterans, also drew support from the Department of Education, the Military Affairs Council, and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and was recommended to pass as is. Senate Bill 414, relating to restoring access to disaster-affected areas in Lahaina, was discussed with testimony from HHFDC and others; members agreed to amend the bill to refer to the Department of Transportation as the acquiring agency, and the measure was recommended to pass with amendments. The committee then considered Senate Bill 223, relating to fire prevention. The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the bill but recommended changes to make the wildland-urban interface code a matter for the State Fire Council/State Fire Marshal rather than statute, and noted it lacked authority to mandate fuel reduction work on lands outside its control. Members also discussed community fuel reduction funding, with DLNR indicating that $10 million would be an effective amount and describing current funding for equipment, outreach, and positions. The chair proposed amendments to make fuel reduction on non-set-aside lands permissive rather than mandatory, to allow the State Fire Council to amend the state fire code to include easement holders, and to note a defective date and the funding request in the committee report. The bill was recommended to pass with amendments, with one member voting with reservations. In a later decision-making session, the committee considered Senate Bill 1379, relating to emergency preparedness and Community Readiness Centers, and Senate Bill 371, relating to property damage of critical infrastructure facilities. For SB 1379, the chair proposed an HD1 incorporating the Hawaii Advisory Council on Emergency Management and county emergency management in site-selection criteria, adding geographic resilience considerations, changing the defective date, and noting $10.8 million for site design plus $1.2 million for contract support; the bill passed with amendments, with reservations from some members over county input and funding. For SB 371, the chair amended the bill to remove recklessly/negligently causing damage and require intentional conduct throughout, while leaving other issues for Judiciary review; the bill passed with amendments, with at least one member voting with reservations.

Transcript Highlights:

• They masticated, and if you see this picture in the background, that's what that big machine is.
• You go in and you spray it and you wait a couple of years, and then you come back and you masticate the

Transcript Highlights:

• I'VE ENJOYED A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR 30 YEARS AND MOST RECENTLY WITH MASTIC COMMUNICATIONS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is wet and flooded underwater, we remove the tiles underwater, vacuum up the floor, and remove the mastic
• underwater, vacuum up the floor, and<01:36:01.760> remove<01:36:02.000> the<01:36:02.159> mastic
• /c><01:36:03.199> They<01:36:03.520> refused<01:36:04.000> to and remove the mastic
• They refused to and remove the mastic.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the years we deal with that in, say, insulation or the mastic that holds tiles to the floor or something

Transcript Highlights:

• they need to go borrow money to finance a pickup or specialized equipment like no-till drills or masticators
• no tail specialized equipment like no no no tail drills<01:20:29.199> or<01:20:29.440> masticators
• <01:20:30.719> or<01:20:31.120> fertilizer drills or masticators or fertilizer drills
• or masticators or fertilizer spreaders<01:20:32.320> or<01:20:32.800> buildings<01:20:

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The lower one is a juniper treatment in sage grouse habitat, where they go in and masticate the junipers
• The lower one is a juniper treatment in sage grouse habitat, where they go in and masticate the junipers

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• onto the rafters, which costs epsilon more than a smooth-shank nail, and you put some glue, some mastic
• “Shank nail and you put some glue, some mastic around the drip edge to keep the edges from coming up

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and my first procedure for taking out the asbestos floor tile and mastic, which is the same procedure

Keywords: 1189, house, all