STAND. COM. REP. NO.2330

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2971

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2971 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ALIEN INVASIVE SPECIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a state administrator/coordinator to orchestrate efforts to control invasive species in Hawaii.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Maui Invasive Species Committee, and three individuals. Testimony opposing this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture, Abandoned and Feral Cat Friends, Animal Rights Hawaii, and three individuals.

Your Committees find that Hawaii's agriculture industry is experiencing tremendous growth. However, alien invasive species are causing substantial economic damage to the agriculture industry and environmental damage to Hawaii's native species of plants and animals. In the past, combating alien invasive species has consisted of a hodgepodge of uncoordinated efforts by different agencies. The results have been less than adequate to fully control alien invasive species in Hawaii. Your Committee finds that this measure establishes a single entity that can coordinate interagency efforts to manage and control invasive species efficiently, effectively, and successfully.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Administratively attaching the administrator/coordinator for invasive species to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii rather than the Office of the Governor;

(2) Eliminating the authority of the nominating committee to dismiss and replace the administrator/coordinator for cause;

(3) Deleting redundant and unnecessary language regarding the advisory, consulting, coordinating, and advocacy duties of the administrator/coordinator and allowing the administrator/coordinator to advise, consult, and coordinate efforts with other agencies;

(4) Eliminating the administrator/coordinator's authority to deputize the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plant protection and quarantine inspectors to enforce Hawaii's laws;

(5) Providing that the administrator/coordinator shall head and administer the emergency environmental workforce established by Act 4, Third Special Session of 2001;

(6) Adding fireweed as an invasive species that shall be a targeted by the emergency environmental workforce;

(7) Deleting language that limited workforce recruitment and information dissemination consulting efforts to private employers affected by the terrorists attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001;

(8) Adding another part to this measure that:

(a) Directs a portion of the conveyance tax collections to invasive species programs;

(b) Allocates one per cent of landing fees collected for invasive species control and prevention at all state air transportation facilities;

(c) Allocates one per cent of port entry, wharfage, and demurrage fees collected for invasive species control and prevention at all state harbor and wharf facilities; and

(9) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2971, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2971, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

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JAN YAGI BUEN, Chair