STAND. COM. REP. NO. 173-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1769

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1769 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to study and combat rapid ohia death in Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that rapid ohia death has killed over a million ohia trees on Hawaii Island and threatens forests on all of the main Hawaiian Islands. Ohia is the State's most common tree and compose eighty percent of remaining native forests. Ohia trees provide important habitats for other plants and animals and gather precipitation to recharge island aquifers. In addition, ohia forests have been treasured by Native Hawaiians for centuries for their many practical and artistic uses. Your Committee further finds that the widespread loss of ohia would be catastrophic for Hawaii's ecosystems and cultural heritage.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the amounts of the appropriations;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests that should your Committee on Finance choose to hear this measure, it consider appropriating $1,700,000, to be allocated as follows:

(1) $350,000 for a survey of and the response to rapid ohia death;

(2) $350,000 for applied research on management tools;

(3) $900,000 for animal removal from fenced areas on Hawaii Island; and

(4) $100,000 for public outreach on how to prevent disease spread.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1769, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1769, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair