HR36

WHEREAS, many residents in Hawaii are concerned about feral chickens that create nuisances by foraging in residential areas, crowing at inconvenient hours, posing health concerns due to their waste, posing a potential threat to native birds, and agitating household pets; and

WHEREAS, to effectively deal with feral chickens it is critical that the State work together with the counties and the affected communities to identify collaborative solutions to control the significant increase in the feral chicken population; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu has expanded their feral chicken removal service to include private property owners, who can rent cages at a nominal cost; and

WHEREAS, there are a wide variety of homespun measures that can be taken by individual property owners to deter feral chickens from entering their property, such as creating barriers, using a motion sensor sprinkler or mechanical decoy, and even spraying the ground with citrus or pungent herbs; and

WHEREAS, OvoControl has been around for years but is used sparingly, is approved and registered by the Environmental Protection Agency, and has been used very effectively for the control of feral pigeons in Waikiki and elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, the most effective way to control the population of feral chickens would be through a contraceptive injection administered by a veterinarian; however, this method is costly at $150 per injection; and

WHEREAS, there are a significant number of residents who oppose the eradication of feral chickens, and who cite positive benefits like the chickens' ability to keep centipedes at bay, note that chickens do not pose a threat to native birds, and that more efficient, eco-conscious methods can be used to manage the population; and

WHEREAS, the responsibility for responding to feral chickens will vary based on the location of the birds and the property ownership; and

WHEREAS, there appears to be a variety of solutions that can be adopted depending on needs and available resources; and

WHEREAS, it is important that residents are made aware of the variety of solutions available in order to make informed decisions on how to best address their particular challenge with feral chickens; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to convene a working group to inform the public about the options available to address the State's feral chicken population; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members:

(1) The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, or the Chairperson's designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the working group;

(2) The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chairperson's designee;

(3) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

(4) One member of the Senate, selected by the Senate President;

(5) One member of the House of Representatives, selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(6) The Director of Communications for the Senate;

(7) The Director of Communications for the House of Representatives; and

(8) The Director of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu, or the Director's designee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to invite a representative from each of the following organizations to participate in the working group:

(1) The Nature Conservancy; and

(2) Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to identify all current solutions available to deal with feral chickens including but not limited to trapping, contraceptives, home remedies, and sanctuaries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to determine the most effective means of communicating information to the public, whether through public service announcements, print media, social media, or another method, and determine the best sources of revenue to communicate this information; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Director of Health; Director of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu; State Director of The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii and Palmyra; and President of Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Feral Chickens; Working Group; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	36
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII