STAND. COM. REP. NO.  39-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1904

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1904 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $2,000,000 to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to fund activities for the prevention and eradication of invasive species on Hawaii Island and related educational activities.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Democratic Party of Hawaii, Maui Invasive Species Committee, and several individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Hunting Association, Hawaii Sportsmen Alliance, and several individuals submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Big Island Invasive Species Committee, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, and one individual submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, an interdepartmental, collaborative agency with membership composed of state officials with policy-making authority in their respective agencies, performs an important state-wide function.  The Council provides guidance and funding for programs to prevent, detect, control, and eradicate invasive species and for the education of the public and government officials on invasive species.  Although many of the programs funded by the Council focus on activities or species that are particular to one island, these activities are of state-wide concern, as evidenced by the ease and speed with which an invasive species can spread throughout the State after becoming established in a single location.  Your Committee further finds that any increase in the Council's total funding benefits the Council's state-wide mission and that providing sufficient funds for the Council to successfully carry out its mission should be a priority.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriations amount from $2,000,000 to an unspecified sum.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1904, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1904, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair