Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Energy, Environment, and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1237, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the process for removing alien plant species from conservation-zoned lands.

The University of Hawaii Environmental Center, a Maui County Council member, the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and the Nature Conservancy submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Good Shepherd Foundation, Inc., and the Institute for the Study of Culturogenic Disease submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committees find that beyond the devastating environmental impacts associated with the introduction and spread of alien plant species to Hawaii's environment, alien species also represent a drain on Hawaii's economy. Costs associated with mitigating or removing alien plant species and reintegrating native plant and animal species is a strain on limited government resources on the federal, state, and county levels. Thus, this measure provides a streamlined process for removing alien plant species by:

Your Committees find that the companion to this measure, S.B. No. 1893, was heard and approved by both Committees. Your Committees have amended this measure to reflect the provisions in S.B. No. 1893, by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Energy, Environment, and International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1237, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1237, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.