HB1924 HD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1924
LEGISLATURE,		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the eradication and control of the coqui frog.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the island of Hawaii has become infested by the Caribbean tree frog (eleutherodactylus coqui), more commonly known as the coqui frog, since its accidental introduction on the island of Hawaii in the early 1990s. In early 1992, there were only sporadic sightings of coqui frogs. In 1998, there were eight reported occurrences. In 2001, over eighty-five occurrences were documented, and another sixty-five occurrences were undocumented. Now there are over one hundred fifty firmly established specific coqui frog sites on the island of Hawaii alone.

In their native habitat in Puerto Rico, coqui frog populations can reach densities greater than eight thousand per acre and consume an estimated forty-seven thousand five hundred preys per night. Because Hawaii is similar in climate to Puerto Rico, it is estimated that coqui frog populations on the island of Hawaii could reach ten times that reported in the native forests of Puerto Rico because Hawaii does not have any of the coqui frog's natural predators. The infestation of coqui frogs has reached such concentrations that the sounds they emit have been measured at sustained levels exceeding the department of health's maximum permissible sound level of seventy decibels, and therefore have become a threat to human health and welfare and unreasonably interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property.

The coqui frog was declared an agricultural pest on September 27, 2001, making shipments of plants infested with coqui frogs subject to quarantine pursuant to chapter 150A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and sections 4-72-3 and 4-72-4, Hawaii Administrative Rules. The coqui frog also has the potential to adversely affect sales of Hawaii's floriculture industry which totaled $61,187,000 in 2002.

In response to this threat on the island of Hawaii, the mayor of Hawaii county issued a Declaration of Emergency in February, 2004. The county of Hawaii, department of agriculture, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Division, and the National Wildlife Research Center have formed the coqui frog working group and have produced the coqui frog working group incident action plan to combat this invasive specie. This plan focuses on three primary areas: eradication and control, research, and community education and support.

The legislature finds that:

(1) A greater level of state aid is needed to deal with a problem that has not been effectively dealt with for over a decade;

(2) The coqui frog invasion is not limited to the island of Hawaii and this problem should be addressed statewide; and

(3) With proper legislative funding to increase efforts to control the spread of the coqui frog, research, and community education, the coqui frog eradication efforts will palliate the seriousness of the economic, environmental, and public health plight posed by the coqui frog to the state.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 to eradicate and control the spread of the coqui frog statewide and to support and implement the coqui frog working group incident action plan.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.