SB324 SD1

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	324
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that for several decades and especially since 1979, the department of land and natural resources and its partners, including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and other agencies, have ignored traditional, recreational, and culturally dependent resources users and have enacted wildlife resource management policies and practices without ever adequately engaging with the typical users of the resources.

The legislature further finds that the stakeholders who are most affected by decisions made by the department of land and natural resources and its partners regarding wildlife and wildlife resources should have opportunities to express their concerns over practices that modify access, utilization, or management of these resources.

The purpose of this Act is to require the department of land and natural resources to manage and administer the wildlife and wildlife resources of the State through cooperative resource management strategies that include traditional, recreational, and culturally dependent resource users and stakeholders.

SECTION 2. Section 183D-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Cooperative resource management" means a process for the management of public resources that identifies and actively involves stakeholders with a compelling interest, such as recreation, hunting, or gathering."

SECTION 3. Section 183D-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§183D-2 Powers and duties of department. The department shall:

(1) Manage and administer the wildlife and wildlife resources of the State[;] through cooperative resource management strategies that include traditional, recreational, and culturally dependent resource users and stakeholders;

(2) Enforce all laws relating to the protecting, taking, hunting, killing, propagating, or increasing the wildlife within the State and the waters subject to its jurisdiction;

(3) Establish and maintain wildlife propagating facility or facilities;

(4) Subject to the provisions of title 12, import wildlife for the purpose of propagating and disseminating the same in the State and the waters subject to its jurisdiction;

(5) Distribute, free of charge, as the department deems to be in the public interest, game for the purpose of increasing the food supply of the State; provided that when in the discretion of the department the public interest will not be materially interfered with by so doing, the department may propagate and furnish wildlife to private parties, upon such reasonable terms, conditions, and prices as the department may determine;

(6) Ascertain, compile, and disseminate, free of charge, information and advice as to the best methods of protecting, propagating, and distributing wildlife in the State and the waters subject to its jurisdiction;

(7) Gather and compile information and statistics concerning the area, location, character, and increase and decrease of wildlife in the State;

(8) Gather and compile information concerning wildlife recommended for release in different localities, including the care and propagation of wildlife for protective, productive, and aesthetic purposes and other useful information, which the department deems proper;

(9) Have the power to manage and regulate all lands which may be set apart as game management areas, public hunting areas, and wildlife sanctuaries;

(10) Pursuant to section 183D-65 of this chapter, destroy predators deemed harmful to wildlife;

(11) Formulate, and from time to time recommend to the governor and legislature, such additional legislation necessary or desirable to implement the objectives of title 12; and

(12) Preserve, protect, and promote public hunting."

SECTION 4. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on December 31, 2050.