HomeMy WebLinkAboutHB LRB 23-0289 Relating to HuntingHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 H.B■NO.
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HUNTING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 183D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
2 amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately
3 designated and to read as follows:
4 "§183D- Game management areas; public hunting areas;
5 plan. (a) The department shall develop a comprehensive plan
6 for the management of game management areas and public hunting
7 areas. The plan shall be in accordance with the principles and
8 goals established in section 183D-2(3) and shall provide for:
9
(1) The monitoring
of game
mammal and game
bird
10
populations to
ensure
the populations
are at levels
11 sufficient for hunting;
12 (2) Habitat improvements for game mammals and game birds
13 to ensure those species have sufficient food, water,
14 and refuge;
15
(3) The preservation of
game management areas;
provided
16
that the plans shall
ensure that whenever
existing
17 lands in game management areas are removed or fenced
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H.B. NO.
1 off for conservation or other purposes, alternative
2 lands of equivalent quality are added to the State's
3 inventory of game management area lands;
4 (4) Where appropriate, the use of grazing and browsing
5 game mammals for the purpose of grass and weed control
6 that benefits native ecosystems;
7 (5) The establishment or expansion of youth and adult
8 programs to promote hunting;
9 (6) The establishment or expansion of programs to inform
10 the public on the proper handling and preparation of
11 wild -caught meat;
12 (7) Increased access to game management areas and public
13 hunting areas, including through the addition of
14 available parking;
15 (8) Increased availability of and greater access to meat
16 inspection sites and slaughter units for wild -caught
17 meat, including sites for certified public hunters
18 pursuant to section 183D- ; and
19 (9) The establishment of incentives for local businesses
20 to market wild game meat.
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H.B. NO.
1 (b) The department shall
post
the game management plan on
2 its website and shall submit a
copy
of the plan to the
3 legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
4 the regular session of
2025. The department shall
update the
5 game management plan at
least once every five years
thereafter
6 and shall submit a copy
of the revised plan to the
legislature
7 no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
8 session of 2030
and every
fifth regular session thereafter."
9 SECTION 2.
Chapter
183D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
10 amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately
11 designated and to read as follows:
12 "§183D- Certified public hunter program; feral pig
13 control. (a) The board shall establish a certified public
14 hunter program, which shall:
15 (1) Establish a process to certify licensed hunters havi
16 the expertise to safely and humanely control the
17 population of feral pigs on private property and in
18 residential areas; provided that the board shall
19 establish requirements and procedures for
20 certification by rule;
21 (2) Maintain a registry of certified public hunters;
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1 (3) Facilitate the connection of certified public hunters
2 with private landowners who wish to remove feral pigs
3 from their property;
4 (4) Authorize certified public hunters to take, catch,
5 pursue, or kill feral pigs on the property of private
6 landowners pursuant to paragraph (3);
7 (5) Implement ways to subsidize or supplement the costs of
8 certified public hunters participating in the program;
9 and
10
(6)
Recommend and implement habitat improvements in game
11
management areas to draw feral pigs out of residential
12
areas for purposes of hunting.
13
(b)
Notwithstanding chapter 134 to the contrary, a
14
certified
public hunter acting under the authority of subsection
15
(a)(4) may use a licensed firearm solely for the purpose of
16
safely and humanely dispatching trapped wild pigs; provided that
17
the board
shall adopt rules to regulate the use of firearms
18
under this
subsection.
19
(c)
The board may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91
20
necessary
to implement this section.
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1 (d) As used in this section, "certified public hunter"
2 means a hunter who is certified pursuant to subsection (a)(1)."
3 SECTION 3. The department of land and natural resources
4 shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty
5 days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024 that
6 includes:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
(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;
(3) Findings and recommendations, including any proposed
legislation, to:
(A) Subsidize or supplement the costs of certified
public hunters participating in the certified
hunter program;
(B) Increase the availability of and access to meat
inspection sites and slaughter units for
wild -caught meat;
(C) Create incentives for local businesses to market
wild game meat;
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Page 6 H.B. NO.
1 (D) Establish or expand youth and adult programs that
2 promote hunting;
3 (E) Instruct the public on the proper handling and
4 preparation of wild -caught meat; and
5 (F) Increase access to game management and public
6 hunting areas, including through the addition of
7 available parking; and
8 (4) Any other findings, recommendations, and proposed
9 legislation.
10 SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general
11 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so
12 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and
13 the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
14 year 2024-2025 to establish a certified public hunter program
15 pursuant to section 2 of this Act.
16 The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department
17 of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
18 SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.
19 SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.
20
INTRODUCED BY:
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H.B. NO.
H.B. NO.
Report Title:
DLNR; BLNR; Game Management Plan; Certified Public Hunter
Program; Establishment; Appropriations
Description:
Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to create
and periodically update a game management plan. Requires the
Board of Land and Natural Resources to establish a certified
public hunter program to address the growing problem of wild pig
populations in residential areas. Appropriates moneys.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
HB LRB, 23-0289 . docx
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