STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1224-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2134

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2134 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's environment from invasive species by establishing the Emergency Environmental Workforce (Workforce) to assist the counties in combating invasive species throughout the state. This bill appropriates an unspecified sum to support the activities of the Workforce which would be attached to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) for administrative purposes.

The Board of Directors and Owners at Kihei Akahi, Maui Outdoor Circle, Hawaii Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui, several members of the Maui County Council, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and several concerned individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. RCUH supported this measure with amendments. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Nature Conservancy, and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2134, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2134, H.D. 1.

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

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair