STAND. COM. REP. NO.  448-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2469

      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 Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2469 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assess the long-term impact of and develop model strategies to eradicate little fire ants by requiring the County of Hawaii to implement a one-year pilot project (Pilot Project) to:

(1)  Address the spread of the ants within county parks;

(2)  Test pesticides to control and eradicate the ants; and

(3)  Develop model eradication strategies that can be used by other counties.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, District 3 Councilmember of the Hawaii County Council, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Pest Control Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii commented on this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Pilot Project to collaborate with the Hawaii Ant Lab of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit of the University of Hawaii (Hawaii Ant Lab);

     (2)  Changing the appropriation for the Pilot Project to an unspecified sum;

     (3)  Requiring the Hawaii Ant Lab to implement a pilot project to establish a canine detection team to find and eradicate little fire ant populations;

     (4)  Appropriating an unspecified sum to establish a canine detection team based on the island of Maui for statewide use in detecting little fire ants;

     (5)  Requiring the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to create a statewide public awareness campaign to assist in the prevention and eradication of little fire ants, emphasizing testing, detecting, and modes of transporting invasive species;

     (6)  Appropriating an unspecified sum to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council for a statewide public awareness and education campaign on little fire ants; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, consistency, and clarity.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider the following appropriations for the designated purposes:

     (1)  $306,237 for the Pilot Project;

     (2)  $250,000 for the canine detection team pilot project; and

     (3)  $350,000 for the little fire ant statewide public awareness campaign.

     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 H.B. No. 2469, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2469, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair