2023_01_17 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes (DRAFT)

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SECTION 2. Chapter 183D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: “§183D- Certified public hunter program; feral pig control. (a) The board shall establish a certified public hunter program, which shall: (1) Establish a process to certify licensed hunters having the expertise to safely and humanely control the population of feral pigs on private property and in residential areas; provided that the board shall establish requirements and procedures for certification by rule; (2) Maintain a registry of certified public hunters; (3) Facilitate the connection of certified public hunters with private landowners who wish to remove feral pigs from their property; (4) Authorize certified public hunters to take, catch, pursue, or kill feral pigs on the property of private landowners pursuant to paragraph (3); (5) Implement ways to subsidize or supplement the costs of certified public hunters participating in the program; and (6) Recommend and implement habitat improvements in game management areas to draw feral pigs out of residential areas for purposes of hunting. (b) Notwithstanding chapter 134 to the contrary, a certified public hunter acting under the authority of subsection (a) (4) may use a licensed firearm solely for the purpose of safely and humanely dispatching trapped wild pigs; provided that the board shall adopt rules to regulate the use of firearms under this subsection. (c) The board may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary to implement this section. (d) As used in this section, “certified public hunter” means a hunter who is certified pursuant to subsection (a) (1).” SECTION 3. The department of land and natural resources shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024 that includes: (1) A summary of the department’s progress in creating the plan for the management of game management areas and public hunting areas; (2) A summary of the board’s progress in establishing a certified hunter program; 21