STAND. COM. REP. NO. 51

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1150

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1150 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture in its efforts to reduce the population of feral pigs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that the feral pig population has been particularly damaging on farms and ranches statewide, where their numbers have been growing exponentially. Your Committee also notes that feral pigs pose a significant threat to local economies by destroying agricultural crops and livestock, damaging Hawaii's ecology by invasive seed dispersal and competition with native wildlife, and posing a threat to human health and safety.

Your Committee further finds that appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture to provide grants for fencing and corral traps, and to introduce a program to reduce feral pig populations, will help protect the land and agricultural communities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1150, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1150, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair