STAND. COM. REP. NO. 126

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 942
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was
referred S.B. No. 942 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUNTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to make it mandatory that the
Department of Land and Natural Resources establish, maintain,
manage, and operate game management areas, wildlife sanctuaries,
and public hunting areas.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii
Hunting Advisory Council, the Hawaii Hunting Association, Hawaii
Citizens' Rights PAC, Pig Hunters of Hawaii, the Hawaii Rifle
Association, and one individual.  Animal Rights Hawaii submitted
testimony in opposition.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii is one of the few states
where all the game birds and mammals that the public hunts are
non-native.  There has been a long history of the need to control
these game mammals to protect forested watersheds and native
ecosystems.  The maintenance of a viable game mammal hunting
program is essential to avoid costly government intervention.  In
addition, alien predator control is compatible with native
species management.

     Your Committee is in support of this measure, and amended
the measure to add definitions for "game management area" and

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 126
                                   Page 2


"public hunting area" to clarify how these different areas will
be managed.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 942, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 942,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development,



                                   ______________________________
                                   LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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