Report Title:

Invasive Species Eradication; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates money to the Maui invasive species committee.

 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1655

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MAUI INVASIVE SPECIES COMMITTEE FY 2001 ACTION PLAN.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that invasive nonnative plant and animal species pose significant environmental, economic, and health threats to Hawaii's native ecosystems, watersheds, agriculture, tourism, and the general quality of life of the people of the State of Hawaii. The legislature further finds that the island of Maui is the location of many of the most intact federal, state, and private conservation lands in the State of Hawaii, which serve as essential habitat for the survival of nearly one hundred federally-listed endangered plant and animal species. Although both the department of agriculture and the department of land and natural resources continue to support and commit a portion of their budgets to "Operation Miconia" - a cooperative, multi-agency effort to control the spread of the invasive plant, Miconia calvescens, on both the islands of Maui and Hawai'i - inadequate funding exists in either department's budget to expand control efforts to other significant invasive plant and animal species. The legislature further finds that the Maui invasive species committee is a voluntary partnership of government, private, and nonprofit organizations aimed at eradicating newly established populations of nonnative pest species before they spread to epidemic proportions and before control costs become prohibitive and unfeasible. The Maui invasive species committee has determined that the cost to implement its action plan goals for fiscal year 2001 is $           and has subsequently submitted a grant proposal to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for $           in federal challenge funds that must be matched at least one-to-one by non-federal matching funds. Therefore, in addition to $           of non-federal matching funds requested by the committee from the county of Maui, it is critical that the State provide adequate matching funding to maximize both federal challenge funds and matching county of Maui funds in order to implement the Maui invasive species committee action plan for fiscal year 2001.

The purpose of this Act is to provide adequate funding to match Maui invasive species committee-requested federal and county of Maui matching funds in order to allow the Maui invasive species committee to address, contain, and eliminate the threats to native ecosystems, agriculture, watersheds, tourism, health, and the general quality of life on the islands of Maui, Moloka'i, and Lana'i created by several major incipient populations of alien, invasive plant, and vertebrate animal species.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, for operational expenses related to the action plan of the Maui invasive species committee.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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