STAND. COM. REP. NO. 4023

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 17

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 17 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A FERAL UNGULATE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR WEST HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a task force to develop a feral ungulate management plan for West Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Forest Industry Association, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the populations of feral goats and pigs in west Hawaii Island have increased to sizes that cannot be sustained by the environment. As feral ungulates in Hawaii have no natural predators to limit their population growth and impact on native ecosystems, feral ungulates contribute to the spread of rapid ohia death and pose threats to pasture forage and native forests. Your Committee notes that the overpopulation of feral ungulates has a significant detrimental impact on the health of watersheds and coral reefs through increased vegetative disturbance and erosion caused by grazing, browsing, trampling, and rooting by feral ungulates. In addition, feral ungulates create major roadway hazards, which have caused motor vehicle accidents.

Your Committee further finds that considerable private and public resources are being expended to address the overpopulation of feral ungulates. The hunting of feral game mammals is an important local food source and public recreational and subsistence hunting opportunity. However, the populations of feral ungulates cannot be sufficiently controlled through hunting alone. Therefore, collaborative efforts are needed to identify opportunities for more effective management of feral ungulate populations to control overpopulated areas while also protecting Hawaii's native natural resources and species.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 17, and recommends its adoption.

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

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair