STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3103

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 143
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred S.C.R. No. 143 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF
     LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO
     IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOURCES OF PERMANENT DEDICATED FUNDING
     AND FUNDING NEEDS OF THE NATURAL AREA RESERVES SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of
Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to convene a working group to
identify potential sources of permanent dedicated funding for the
Natural Area Reserves System (NARS).

     Testimony in support of this measure was provided by DLNR
and the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund.

     Nearly all of the nineteen reserves in Hawaii have some
degree of destructive infestation by non-native plants and
animals.  Budget cuts have reduced NARS' capacity to pro-actively
address these threats.  This measure requests DLNR to convene a
working group to examine potential sources of permanent dedicated
funding for the NARS.  Your Committee is in agreement that
permanent funding is necessary for various management activities
such as fencing, non-native plant and animal control, and
monitoring and research designed to protect or enhance natural
resources.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3103
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Environment that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
S.C.R. No. 143, and recommends that it be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
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