Report Title:
Pacific Center for Ecosystem Science
Description:
Creates Pacific Center for Ecosystem Science. Appropriates funds.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2579 |
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TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to the university of hawaii.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds and declares that the development of a center for ecosystem science constitutes a valid public purpose.
Historically, Hawaiian identity has been defined by a sense of place and, today, all the residents of the state look to our green mountains, our white beaches, and our clear waters for recreation and inspiration. Our agriculture depends on irrigation from watersheds in our mountains and our tourism depends on the natural beauty of the islands.
As an island state, Hawaii's future well-being is closely tied to the health of its environment. Unfortunately, many threats to our ecosystems and native species threaten the sustainability of our future: invasive alien plants may interfere with our water supply, alien insects and animals may destroy crops or native ecosystems, and introduced diseases threaten Hawaii's people and native species alike.
Hawaii has extensive scientific expertise for dealing with these problems, but since these human resources are dispersed, their activities are poorly coordinated and at times redundant. A Pacific center for ecosystem science would consolidate state, private, university, and federal land management and research elements in a new world-class ecosystem science center in upper Manoa Valley as part of the University of Hawaii. The legislature finds that this center would serve as a catalyst for the stewardship of Hawaii’s natural resources, as well as a source for expertise and scientific interchange throughout the Pacific islands.
The purpose of this Act is to establish this center by:
(1) Authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds and to appropriate funds for the plans, design, and construction of this center; provided that the federal government provides $3 for every $1 appropriated in this Act; and
(2) Appropriating funds for five full-time associate professor positions.
SECTION 2. Chapter 304, part II, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new subpart to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
" . PACIFIC CENTER FOR ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE
§304- Pacific center for ecosystem science. (a) There is established the Pacific center for ecosystem science as an educational and research institution. The center shall be placed within the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes as provided for in section 26-35. The center may later incorporate as a nonprofit corporation if it is feasible and meets the center's objectives.
(b) The governing body of the center shall consist of a board of directors having three voting members. The three members shall represent federal, state, and private interests. Participants from the federal, state, and private sectors, shall select one member from their own sector to represent their particular interest. Each member on the board of directors shall be selected on the basis of their knowledge, interest, and proven expertise in the field of ecosystem science. The president of the University of Hawaii shall serve as the chairperson until a chairperson is elected by the board from the membership.
(c) The members of the board appointed under subsection (b) shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties.
(d) The center shall receive the full cooperation of all state agencies in the use of staff members, facilities, and other resources necessary to accomplish the purposes of this subpart.
§304- Functions and programs. The center shall:
(1) Assist the State in addressing top priority conservation issues;
(2) Promote educational, scientific, technological, and literacy pursuits in the area of ecosystem science;
(3) Provide support for conservation biology and natural resources management in Hawaii by:
(A) Fostering scientific and technological interchange between students and scholars of the United States and other nations;
(B) Encouraging, initiating, aiding, developing, and conducting scientific investigations and research in ecosystem science;
(C) Encouraging and aiding in the education and training of persons from the United States and other nations for the conduct of such investigations, research, and study;
(D) Assisting in the dissemination of knowledge by establishing, aiding, and maintaining professorships or other staff positions, fellowships, scholarships, publications, and lectures;
(E) Other means to make the benefits of investigations, research, and study available to the public; and
(F) Any and all other acts reasonably designed to further the above purposes in the interest of promoting the general welfare of the people of the State and the mutual understanding between the United States and the other nations;
and
(4) Seek, receive, and accept from public and private sources, whether located within or without the United States, grants, gifts, devises, bequests, or otherwise money and property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, absolutely or in trust, to be used in carrying out the purpose of this center.
§304- Pacific center for ecosystem science special fund. There is established in the state treasury a fund to be known as the Pacific center for ecosystem science special fund, into which shall be deposited all moneys and fees the center shall receive from tenants or other users of the center, services, and publications, as well as any appropriations, grants, or gifts received by the center. All moneys in the special fund shall be expended by the board of directors for the operation, maintenance, management, services, publications, and for the design and construction of the new center and the renovation of or addition to existing facilities."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003 for the Pacific cooperative studies unit to establish five full-time equivalent (5.00 FTE) permanent associate professor positions as follows:
(1) $50,000 for 1.00 FTE position focusing on biocontrol. This position shall develop a series of applied research projects to find natural enemies to attack aliens such as Miconia;
(2) $50,000 for 1.00 FTE position focusing on big mammals. This position shall develop extramurally funded cooperative projects with state, federal, and private organizations to study the populations and basic biology of these species and to make recommendations on their management to land managers;
(3) $50,000 for 1.00 FTE position focusing on endangered plants. This position shall develop extramurally funded cooperative projects with state, federal, and private organizations to study the populations and basic biology of these endangered plant species and to make recommendations on their management to land managers;
(4) $50,000 for 1.00 FTE position focusing on invasive alien weed ecology. This position shall develop extramurally funded cooperative projects with state, federal, and private organizations to study the basic biology and control of these invasive species and to develop management methods for land managers; and
(5) $50,000 for 1.00 FTE position focusing on disease. This position shall conduct extramurally funded cooperative projects with state, federal, and private organizations to determine which diseases are present, what diseases could become established, and the potential effects.
Each of the positions at the Pacific center for ecosystem science are under the Pacific cooperative studies unit and shall:
(1) Be responsible for its program within the Pacific center for ecosystem science;
(2) Be assigned to another department within the University of Hawaii for the purposes of teaching, tenure, and promotion; and
(3) In the event that a position is vacated, the position will revert back to the Pacific cooperative studies unit for reassignment.
SECTION 4. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2002-2003 for the plans, design, and construction of the Pacific center for ecosystem science; provided that no funds shall be made available under this section unless the federal government provides $3 for every $1 appropriated in this section, for the purposes for which the sum is appropriated.
SECTION 5. The appropriation made for the capital improvement project authorized by this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2004, shall lapse as of that date.
SECTION 6. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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