STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2889

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2675

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2675, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RAPID OHIA DEATH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to help to continue pathology research by the United States Department of Agricultural Research Service and other organizations to combat rapid ohia death.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, University of Hawai‘i System, Aha Moku Advisory Committee, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that ohia makes up about fifty percent of the State's native forest and is a keystone species in native watershed areas.  Rapid ohia death is devastating thousands of acres of native forest on the island of Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that it is crucial that funds are directed to address this issue.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $600,000;

     (2)  Replacing the Department of Agriculture with the Department of Land and Natural Resources as the expending agency for the appropriation;

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2016; and

     (4)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2675, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2675, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair