STAND. COM. REP. NO. 628

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1239

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1239 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RAPID OHIA DEATH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for research on prevention and mitigation of rapid ohia death.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, County of Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Hawaii Green Growth, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, and ten individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     Your Committee finds that ohia makes up approximately fifty percent of the State's native forest and is a keystone species in native watershed areas.  Your Committee recognizes that rapid ohia death is devastating thousands of acres of native forest on the island of Hawaii and that it is vital take appropriate steps now to prevent the spread of the fungus to the other islands.  Your Committee believes that rapid ohia death is a critical threat to the State's native forests and that it is crucial that funds are directed to address this issue.  Your Committee notes that it will consider including an appropriation in the budget bill for this purpose, with $2,000,000 as a possible amount.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to March 9, 2092, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1239, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1239, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair