STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2009

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 573

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 573 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDLIFE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require all habitat conservation plans to include an agreement for plan participants to enter into and maintain an annual service contract with a stand-by and response facility available to provide emergency medical and rehabilitation services to native wildlife affected by activities undertaken within the plan area.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Hawai‘i County Council, Hawai‘i Wildlife Center, Kauai Albatross Network, Center for Biological Diversity, Save Our Shearwaters, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, and twenty-two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Clean Power Alliance. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's unique ecosystem is under constant threat by natural and manmade causes. Your Committee further finds that habitat conservation plans are one means of mitigating against this threat and protecting the health and longevity of the State's ecosystem. Presently, habitat conservation plans do not require a response plan that sets forth an agreement with a permitted response organization to ensure response resources are available for injured wildlife treatment and rehabilitation expertise when needed. This measure will help ensure that permitted, professionally staffed, wildlife response resources are available to help native wildlife adversely affected by human activities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 30, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 573, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 573, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair