Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2763 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to control and eradicate coqui frogs by appropriating $2,000,000 as a grant-in-aid to the County of Hawaii for support and implementation of the coqui frog working group incident action plan.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Maui Outdoor Circle, Kihei Akahi A.O.A.O., C&H Farms, and a concerned individual supported this bill. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, and Conservation Council for Hawaii supported the intent of this bill. Animal Rights Hawaii opposed this measure. The Maui Invasive Species Committee offered comments.

Although your Committees strongly support efforts to control the spread of coqui frogs on the island of Hawaii, your Committees also recognize the need to address this invasive species on a statewide level. Currently, coqui frogs exist in each county of the state.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2763, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2763, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.