Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 157 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for the control of invasive species.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Maui Invasive Species Committee, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Invasive Species Committees on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island, and Ulupalakua Ranch, Inc., supported this bill. The Department of Agriculture and Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee notes that invasive species such as fireweed present a significant danger to Hawaii agriculture and livestock. This bill addresses this concern.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation amount to $1 to facilitate further discussion. Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 157, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 157, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.