STAND. COM. REP. NO. 457-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1721

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1721 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FERAL ANIMAL MANAGEMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture to collaborate on the development of a feral animal management plan and submit a report to the Legislature of their findings and recommendations; and

(2) Appropriate funds for this purpose.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; one member of the Maui County Council; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Ulupono Initiative; and six individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii County Game Management Advisory Commission and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that the imbalance of feral animals in the State is wreaking havoc on the environment, agriculture, and communities.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture to collaborate on feral animal management but not to develop a plan;

(2) Describing the scope of feral animal management;

(3) Deleting the requirement that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2023;

(4) Changing the purpose of the appropriation from the development of a feral animal management plan to establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Natural Resources Management Specialist position related to feral animal management;

(5) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources to actively engage in discussions with stakeholders regarding feral animal management.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1721, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1721, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Agriculture,

____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Chair

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair