STAND. COM. REP. NO.353

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 1118

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred H.B. No. 1118 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUNTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to expand public hunting areas by adding the following to the definition of "public hunting area" under section 183D-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes: game management areas, forest reserves and surrendered lands, natural area reserves, closed watersheds, cooperative game management areas, military training areas, unencumbered state lands, designated sanctuaries, and other lands designated by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Hunting Advisory Council, Pig Hunters of Hawaii, and the Hawaii Rifle Association testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that public hunting is an essential component of an integrated conservation program to ensure that game mammal populations do not expand and damage forested watersheds and native ecosystems.

This bill was amended by replacing the reference to "closed watersheds" with "restricted watersheds."

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1118, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1118, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land Use,

____________________________

EZRA KANOHO, Chair