STAND. COM. REP. NO. 55-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2973
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B.
No. 2973 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR MICONIA
     ERADICATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to
eradicate miconia in the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Hawaii Forest Industry Association, the Maui Invasive Species
Committee, Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development
Council, Inc., the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Na Leo
Pohai, the Hawaii Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy of
Hawaii, the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, and several individuals.
The Department of Agriculture (DOA) submitted testimony in
support of this bill, provided that the bill does not replace or
adversely affect the priorities in DOA's Executive Biennium
Budget.  Comments were submitted by Lyon Arboretum, the United
States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and several
individuals.

     Your Committee recognizes that the spread of miconia is a
statewide problem, and if miconia is not controlled or
eradicated, it will overrun much of the State's native forests
and wayside areas.  It is your Committee's belief that increased
county support to eradicate miconia will accelerate efforts to
wipe out this noxious weed, and therefore urges the respective
counties to contribute county funds and resources to miconia
eradication efforts.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 55-00
                                 Page 2

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Expanding the scope of the appropriation to include the
          County of Kalawao and the City and County of Honolulu;
          and

     (2)  Specifying that miconia eradication efforts are to be a
          cooperative effort of the DOA and the Department of
          Land and Natural Resources.

     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.
2973, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2973, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair