Bill Text: HI SR105 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Working Group; Feral Animals; Management Policies

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-21 - (S) Referred to WLH. [SR105 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SR105-Introduced.html

---

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	105
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING the department of land and natural resources to convene the FERAL ANIMAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP AND RECOMMEND STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE FERAL ANIMALS MANAGEMENT POLICIES.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, feral animals have detrimental impacts on people, native species and habitats, and the environment and have been the subject of significant community concerns, including traffic safety, damage to personal property, and effects on public resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, the lack of a legal framework for animal control across all land ownerships and jurisdictions has led to policy gaps regarding who responds, addresses, and pays for feral animal control; and

 

     WHEREAS, certain feral animal control measures can be controversial, and without a clear understanding of how to control feral animals, and who is responsible for the control, there have been individuals who have taken situations into their own hands; and

 

     WHEREAS, an entity is critically needed to comprehensively review, prioritize, and make recommendations for feral animal management and control on each island, based on the best interests of the State's communities; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to convene the Feral Animal Conflict Resolution Working Group to develop and recommend statewide comprehensive feral animals management policies; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the Feral Animal Conflict Resolution Working Group be composed of representatives from the following:

 

     (1)  The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife;

 

     (2)  The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement;

 

     (3)  The Department of Agriculture;

 

     (4)  The Department of Health;

 

     (5)  The Department of Transportation, Highways Division;

 

     (6)  The Department of Defense;

 

     (7)  The University of Hawaii, Office of Public Health Studies;

 

     (8)  The University of Hawaii, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management;

 

     (9)  The Humane Society of the United States;

 

    (10)  The Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association;

 

    (11)  The Hawaii Rifle Association;

 

    (12)  Kualoa Ranch;

 

    (13)  The Nature Conservancy;

 

    (14)  The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation;

 

    (15)  The Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council;

 

    (16)  The Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships;

 

    (17)  The Conservation Council for Hawaii;

 

    (18)  Kamehameha Schools;

 

    (19)  The Hawaii Humane Society;

 

    (20)  The Maui Humane Society;

 

    (21)  The Kauai Humane Society;

 

    (22)  The Hawaii Island Humane Society;

 

    (23)  The Hawaii Crop Improvement Association;

 

    (24)  The Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association;

 

    (25)  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service;

 

    (26)  The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services – Wildlife Services;

 

    (27)  The National Park Service;

 

    (28)  The United States Army Garrison, Hawaii; and

 

    (29)  The United States Pacific Command; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to elect a chair and vice chair, each respectively representing different organizations, missions, and interests, from among its members by a majority vote; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the working group members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of working group business; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group engage the services of a disinterested facilitator to assist the working group with its activities; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group engage the services of consultants and experts to:

 

     (1)  Provide examples of effective feral animal management programs and policies, including interagency collaboration, cooperative agreements, and memorandums of understanding or agreement, utilized in other jurisdictions or parts of the world, as available;

 

     (2)  Provide examples of existing and developing feral animal control methods utilized in other jurisdictions or parts of the world;

 

     (3)  Address historical and cultural issues relating to or affected by feral animals;

 

     (4)  Help identify needed resources and quantify costs and benefits relevant to management of feral animal control programs and policies; and

 

     (5)  Review any other areas of desired inquiry; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the term feral means free-roaming and the working group is requested to determine what feral animal species should be examined, and to what extent, for the purposes of this Resolution using an agreed upon process and criteria, including an assessment of risk to health, safety, property, agriculture, or the environment, that facilitates maximum effective collaboration towards achieving the working group's requested deliverables; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group:

 

     (1)  Identify and summarize each working group member's or lead agency's concerns, role, and potential contributions with respect to better management of feral animals;

 

     (2)  Discuss and summarize feral animal relocation and control options and efforts with and between the departments of agriculture, land and natural resources, health, and transportation, as well as state, county, federal, and privately organized programs and policies;

 

     (3)  In consultation with appropriate agencies and stakeholders, analyze and summarize existing gaps and obstacles that prevent interagency collaboration, partnerships, and more effective management and control of feral animal populations, including each working group member's or lead agency's requirements for understanding and cooperating to close these gaps, overcome these obstacles, share resources and responsibilities, and develop potential solutions;

 

     (4)  In consultation with appropriate agencies and stakeholders, identify and describe the level of effort and methods commonly used to control the number of feral animals in a given area, for each species;

 

     (5)  In consultation with appropriate agencies and stakeholders, identify and describe suggested methods, forums, or outreach programs to educate the public and private sectors regarding feral animal risks, impacts, and management;

 

     (6)  Provide, where available, the annual costs incurred by each working group member or lead agency in the control of each feral animal species and mitigation of animal damage, and a summary of the types of costs accruing to the public and private sectors as a result of feral animals, with a list of relevant published references, including cost-benefit analyses pertaining to species of interest;

 

     (7)  Develop and recommend a framework and process for addressing common elements of a statewide comprehensive feral animals management policy, in as much detail as possible, with a proposed plan for addressing the more specific island and species control details based on continuing collaboration and future work; and

 

     (8)  Review existing Hawaii statutes and rules pertaining to feral animals and suggest appropriate state legislation or administrative rule changes to improve the administration and management of feral animal control programs and policies, including recommended measures of effectiveness for these programs and policies; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group members review the following documents:

 

     (1)  The Legislative Reference Bureau, Report No. 1, 2002, FILLING THE GAPS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES, January 2002, which is a study on policy recommendations and funding options for a comprehensive alien invasive species protection and control program for the State of Hawaii;

 

     (2)  The Interim State of Hawaii Strategic Plan for Invasive Species Prevention, Control, Research and Public Outreach, the purpose of which is to provide the framework for a statewide invasive species prevention, control, research, and public outreach program;

 

     (3)  The HAWAI‘I INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL Strategy 2008-2013, prepared by the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council, June 2008;

 

     (4)  The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, TECHNICAL REPORT No. 07-01, REVIEW OF METHODS AND APPROACH FOR CONTROL OF NON-NATIVE UNGULATES IN HAWAII, March 1, 2007, to include the report purpose, assumptions, and intent with respect to objectives;

 

     (5)  The Asia Forest Network, Research Network Report:  Facilitating Collaborative Planning In Hawaii's Natural Area Reserves; and

 

     (6)  The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources Report to the Twenty-Fourth Legislature Regular Session of 2007, PLAN TO REDUCE THE STATEWIDE FERAL PIG POPULATION; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in exploring all possible solutions to feral animal control, eradication is the least desirable option; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any formal findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation presented on behalf of the working group are requested to be by consensus voting and that minority reports and dissenting positions be included in the report; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Feral Animal Conflict Resolution Working Group is requested to meet not less than four times and for reporting purposes, no later than November 1, 2011, transmit to the Legislative Reference Bureau:

 

     (1)  A draft of the working group's work, information, deliverables, findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, including problems with existing statutes or administrative rules;

 

     (2)  A draft of recommendations regarding the continuation, discontinuation, modification, or placement of the group, to include budgetary requirements or constraints related to continuing or modifying the working group, and recommendations regarding maximizing the working group's effectiveness to meet future work needs; and

 

     (3)  A draft of minority reports and dissenting positions, if applicable; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to assemble, finalize, and submit the working group's report to the Legislature and Governor no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to provide other necessary administrative, professional, technical, and clerical support to the working group; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Feral Animal Conflict Resolution Working Group are requested to serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; the Director of Health; the Director of Transportation; the respective Mayors of each County; the Director of the Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii; the Chairperson of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii; the President of the Humane Society of the United States; the President of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association; the President of the Hawaii Rifle Association; the President of Kualoa Ranch; the Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy, Hawaii Chapter; the President of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; the President of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council; the Chairperson of the Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships; the Executive Director of the Conservation Council for Hawaii; the Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools; the President of the Hawaii Humane Society; the President of the Maui Humane Society; the President of the Kauai Humane Society; the President of the Hawaii Island Humane Society; the President of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; the President of the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association; the Hawaii Administrator of the Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife Service; the Hawaii Area Director, United States Department of Agriculture; the Pacific Area Director, United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service; the Commander, United States Army Garrison, Hawaii; and the Commander of the United States Pacific Command.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Working Group; Feral Animals; Management Policies