State Rep. Cindy Evans hopes a package of five hunting bills being introducing at the state Capitol this session will strengthen and unite the hunting community at a time when conflicts between land conservation and hunting are growing.
Evans (D, North Kona-North Kohala-South Kohala) said Hawaii’s hunters play a key role in how the state manages its forests. But several hunters have approached her about concerns that hunting grounds are being fenced off and lost to conservation efforts.
"Hunters are really conservationists," she said at a news conference Friday with a group of other legislators who support the package. "They’re our eyes. They’re the ones that walk the land. They’re the ones that see what’s going on, and they really are in the forefront of protecting our habitat and protecting what we have in Hawaii."
She said she wants the legislative package to help organize a hunting community that currently has no formal organization.
"We’re hoping this year that they come together, learn how to work with the Legislature and get their voice heard," she said.
The five bills being introduced would:
» Ban a reduction of public hunting area by requiring the state Land Department to replace hunting land made unavailable.
» Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to issue hunting permits to children to hunt under adult supervision.
» Authorize the Board of Land and Natural Resources to enter into an agreement with other states for the mutual enforcement of wildlife laws and to enter into the wildlife violators compact and adopt necessary rules.
» Establish a lifetime hunting license for veterans who are at least 60 percent disabled or who are Purple Heart recipients. The cost is tentatively set at $3.
» Designate September as "Outdoor Heritage Month" to celebrate Hawaii’s natural environment and recreational activities.
State Rep. Faye Hanohano (D, Puna), who attended the news conference, said she grew up hunting in Puna.
The bills, she said, would help clarify hunting issues. "It will also help the next generation to continue the lifestyle," Hanohano said.
