STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1349

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 639

      S.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 639, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Act is to improve efforts to control and eradicate noxious weeds in Hawaii by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Agriculture (DOA), on an annual basis, to review and update the list of restricted plants requiring permits for entry into the state as necessary;

     (2)  Requiring, rather than allowing, DOA to adopt rules to carry out the provisions of the Noxious Weed Control Law;

     (3)  Prohibiting the sale of noxious weeds within the state; and

     (4)  Requiring, instead of allowing, DOA to designate certain plant species as noxious weeds and requiring DOA to, on an annual basis, review and update the list of noxious weeds as necessary.

     Hawaii Forest Industry Association and The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii supported this bill.  DOA and the Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of this measure. 

     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 S.B. No. 639, S.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair