STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2857

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 1 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING GAME MAMMAL, GAME BIRD, AND FISHING RESOURCES IN ORDER TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY AND FOOD SECURITY AND TO PRESERVE LONG STANDING LOCAL AND CULTURAL PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to recognize that pioneered introductions, such as the pig, and later sustainability introductions, such as goats, sheep, and deer, which are now recognized as game mammal and game bird resources, should be included among the natural resources recognized by the Hawaii State Constitution.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawai‘i Game Management Advisory Commission; The Society for Hawaii Heritage Animals; Pig Hunters Association of Oahu; Hawaii Sportsmen's Alliance; Hawaii Nearshore Fishermen; Hawaii Hunting Association; Ho‘omana Pono, LLC; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hunting Farming and Fishing Association; and thirty-three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Aha Moku Advisory Committee, and three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that prior to the 1978 Constitutional Convention, the Hawaii State Constitution explicitly required the Legislature to promote the conservation, development, and utilization of fish and game.  Your Committee finds that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Department) should make additional efforts to work with hunters and to recognize game mammals and game birds as resources in game management areas, but recognizes that since game animals are non-native, invasive species and any recognition of game animals as natural resources would conflict with the goals of the Department and the State.  Furthermore, your Committee believes that any determination of the intent of the proposal of the 1978 Constitutional Convention is best addressed by the courts or a measure to amend the state constitution.

     Your Committee has therefore amended this measure by:

     (1)  Correcting the amount of game that is harvested each year from 1,000,000 pounds to 500,000 pounds;

     (2)  Deleting references to the proposal of the 1978 Constitutional Convention regarding the former section 1 of the former Article X of the state constitution;

     (3)  Amending language to recognize game mammals and game birds as resources in game management areas, rather than as natural resources; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair