THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	138
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the division of forestry and wildlife to complete the habitat conservation plan for pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a and pu‘u anahulu by 2022.

WHEREAS, section 183D-2(12), Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides that the Department of Land and Natural Resources shall "[p]reserve, protect, and promote public hunting"; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, is responsible for managing and protecting native ecosystems as well as providing hunting opportunities to the community; and

WHEREAS, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife is responsible for game management at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a and Pu‘u Anahulu, the two most popular game mammal hunting areas on Hawaii island; and

WHEREAS, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife has been working on a habitat conservation plan for Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a and Pu‘u Anahulu; and

WHEREAS, the habitat conservation plan covers about one hundred and four thousand acres (project area); and

WHEREAS, the project area contains sixteen endangered species: fifteen species of plant and one insect; and

WHEREAS, the intent of the habitat conservation plan, in addition to protecting and mitigating impacts to endangered species, is to also provide for sustained yield game management activities designed to preserve, protect, and promote hunting within the project area; and

WHEREAS, sustained yield game management ensures a viable game species population through science, monitoring, and regulation as a public resource; and

WHEREAS, deregulated public hunting should not be considered a sustained yield game management plan at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a and Pu‘u Anahulu; and

WHEREAS, ensuring the existence of game animals population through science, monitoring, and regulation as a public resource is beneficial to preventing certain threats to native and endangered species in the project areas; and

WHEREAS, the habitat conservation plan with its broad base intent of protecting and mitigating impacts to endangered species and to provide for sustained yield game management has been an ongoing project since 2003 when surveys were conducted across the project area; and

WHEREAS, since 2003, there has been a great deal of work expended on the habitat conservation plan; and

WHEREAS, approximately $3,593,900 has already been spent on habitat conservation plan activities; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Division of Forestry and Wildlife is urged to complete the habitat conservation plan for Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a and Pu‘u Anahulu by 2022; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Department of Land and Natural Resources; Habitat Conservation Plan