THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	160
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE LEGISLATURE ON POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE MOSQUITOS FROM HAWAII.

     WHEREAS, mosquitos are an alien species in Hawaii and were introduced to the Hawaiian archipelago in the late 1800s; and

     WHEREAS, mosquitos are vectors of diseases that affect humans and wildlife; and

     WHEREAS, without sufficient eradication efforts, mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever and zika virus, are likely to become established in Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, avian malaria has decimated the native bird population throughout the range of the mosquito; and

     WHEREAS, as our climate warms, mosquitoes are able to survive at higher altitudes and Hawaii's native birds will continue to lose their habitat as mosquitos move mauka; and

     WHEREAS, eliminating mosquitos is a critical element of restoring the original habitat of Hawaii's native birds and can assist in saving native birds from extinction; and

     WHEREAS, different mosquito eradication techniques have been developed and tested in multiple mosquito-affected regions of the world; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources facilitates a Statewide Mosquito Working Group comprised of state and federal agencies and institutions that contribute to mosquito surveillance, control, and research; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that the University of Hawai‘i, in collaboration with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, is requested to investigate techniques that can be used to eliminate mosquitoes from Hawaii, including but not limited to organic methods of mosquito control, the estimated costs of establishing a statewide mosquito eradication program using identified techniques, and the expected environmental impacts of different mosquito eradication techniques such a program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawai‘i is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, President of the University of Hawai‘i System, Deputy Director of the Department of Health's Environmental Health Administration, and Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Report Title: 

Mosquito Eradication; Health; Environment