STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1398

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 50

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 50 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A REVIEW OF METHODOLOGIES USED FOR CONTROLLING NON-NATIVE GAME ANIMALS IN HAWAII'S FOREST AREAS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request a review of the methodologies used for controlling non-native game animals in Hawaii's forest areas.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the Hawaiian Humane Society, and the Nature Conservancy submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Since the introduction of game animals in Hawaii, a culture of hunting has developed for recreation and food, and the control over these feral animals helps to maintain the State's forests and watersheds. However, hunting alone does not keep non-native animal populations low enough to minimize damage to these areas.

Conservation in the forested areas currently involves the use of a number of methodologies and practices for non-native animal control, including fencing, hunting, live trapping, and snaring, and your Committee finds that some animal care and hunting organizations oppose a number of methods used to control the animal populations. This measure requests the DLNR to collaborate with land conservation, hunting, and animal care organizations to review the methodologies for controlling non-native game animals in Hawaii.

Specifically, this measure requests the DLNR to convene a working group that includes a variety of conservation, hunting, and animal care organizations, companies, and other individuals with expertise or interests in watershed areas. The working group will review the methodologies used to capture feral animals, and the DLNR will submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2006.

Your Committee also noted that testimony from the DLNR indicated that in 1993, a consortium of agencies and individuals throughout the State, mainland, and other countries reviewed and documented animal control methodologies. Since then, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has funded an update to the 1993 information, and the report will be completed before the end of this year.

As such, your Committee believes that rather than duplicate the effort and information in the Fish and Wildlife Service update, the working group proposed for this measure should build on the revised information. Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the DLNR to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2007, rather than 2006.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 50, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 50, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair