Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1076 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to designate public hunting as the primary means to control game animals in the Natural Area Reserves System.

Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Rifle Association. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure, with amendments, was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Maui Invasive Species Council, Ka Lahui Hawaii, and the Conservation Council for Hawaii. The Nature Conservancy submitted concerns about the measure. Oral testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Sierra Club.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Department) already uses public hunting as its primary means of controlling game animals. The inherent conflict between the values of preserving intact native ecosystems and maintenance of viable game mammal populations for traditional, subsistence and recreational hunting has put the Department and its staff in the middle of some very emotional community issues. The legislative intent of the Natural Area Reserve System (NARS), which focuses on preservation, is very clear. The scientific data is also very clear, that to preserve certain native ecosystems, major reduction and at times, complete elimination of game mammals will be necessary. The Department, and several other testifiers, voiced concerns about the specific language of the measure. The term "acceptable habitat-carrying capacity" is subjective and confusing, and will make it difficult to meet the NARS legislative mandates and the stakeholders requested that it be changed to "as appropriate".

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the measure to effectuate the suggested amendment.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1076, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1076, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.