HRS §141-1 Duties in general
141-1. Duties in general
The department of agriculture shall:
(1) Gather, compile, and tabulate, from time to time,
information and statistics concerning:
(A) Entomology and plant pathology: Insects,
scales, blights, and diseases injurious or liable to become injurious to trees,
plants, or other vegetation, and the ways and means of exterminating pests and
diseases already in the State and preventing the introduction of pests and
diseases not yet here; and
(B) General agriculture: Fruits, fibres, and
useful or ornamental plants and their introduction, development, care, and
manufacture or exportation, with a view to introducing, establishing, and
fostering new and valuable plants and industries;
(2) Encourage and cooperate with the agricultural
extension service and agricultural experiment station of the University of
Hawaii and all private persons and organizations doing work of an experimental
or educational character coming within the scope of the subject matter of
chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and avoid, as far as practicable,
duplicating the work of those persons and organizations;
(3) Enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, or
other transactions with any person, agency, or organization, public or private,
as may be necessary in the conduct of the department's business and on such
terms as the department may deem appropriate; provided that the department
shall not obligate any funds of the State, except the funds that have been
appropriated to the department. Pursuant to cooperative agreement with any
authorized federal agency, employees of the cooperative agency may be
designated to carry out, on behalf of the State the same as department
personnel, specific duties and responsibilities under chapters 141, 142, 150A,
and rules adopted pursuant to those chapters, for the effective prosecution of
pest control and animal disease control and the regulation of import into the
State and intrastate movement of regulated articles;
(4) Secure copies of the laws of other states,
territories, and countries, and other publications germane to the subject
matters of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and make laws and publications
available for public information and consultation;
(5) Provide buildings, grounds, apparatus, and
appurtenances necessary for the examination, quarantine, inspection, and
fumigation provided for by chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A; for the
obtaining, propagation, study, and distribution of beneficial insects, growths,
and antidotes for the eradication of insects, blights, scales, or diseases
injurious to vegetation of value and for the destruction of injurious
vegetation; and for carrying out any other purposes of chapters 141, 142, and
144 to 150A;
(6) Formulate and recommend to the governor and
legislature additional legislation necessary or desirable for carrying out the
purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;
(7) Publish at the end of each year a report of the
expenditures and proceedings of the department and of the results achieved by
the department, together with other matters germane to chapters 141, 142, and
144 to 150A and that the department may deem proper;
(8) Administer a program of agricultural planning and
development, including the formulation and implementation of general and
special plans, including but not limited to the functional plan for
agriculture; administer the planning, development, and management of the
agricultural park program; plan, construct, operate, and maintain the state
irrigation water systems; review, interpret, and make recommendations with
respect to public policies and actions relating to agricultural land and water
use; assist in research, evaluation, development, enhancement, and expansion of
local agricultural industries; and serve as liaison with other public agencies
and private organizations for the above purposes. In the foregoing, the
department shall act to conserve and protect agricultural lands and irrigation
water systems, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural
self-sufficiency, and ensure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands;
and
(9) Manage, administer, and exercise control over any
public lands, as defined under section 171-2, that are designated important
agricultural lands pursuant to section 205-44.5, including but not limited to
establishing priorities for the leasing of these public lands within the
department's jurisdiction.
[L 1903, c 44, pt of §5; RL 1925, pt of §586; RL
1935, pt of §176; am L 1941, c 228, §1; RL 1945, pt of §1006; RL 1955, pt of
§18-7; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §22; am L 1961, c 132, §2; HRS §141-1; am L 1982,
c 73, §1; am L 1983, c 215, §2; am L 1984, c 275, §3; am L 1985, c 127, §2; am
L 1987, c 91, §1; am L 1995, c 80, §1; am L 1998, c 67, §1; am L 2000, c 147,
§1; am L 2008, c 233, §15]