STAND. COM. REP. NO.  92

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 655

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 655 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to assist with and provide supplemental funding to the National Wildlife Research Center to research the negative impacts of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai and develop and implement a control plan to reduce those negative impacts.

The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Kekaha Farms Under Da Mango Tree LLC, Ponoholo Ranch Limited, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Maui County Farm Bureau, Kilauea Neighborhood Association, Aina Ho‘okupu o Kilauea, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of this measure.  A concerned individual provided comments.

     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. 655 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair