§141-1  Duties in general.  Thedepartment 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 anddiseases already in the State and preventing the introduction of pests anddiseases not yet here; and

(B)  General agriculture:  Fruits, fibres, anduseful or ornamental plants and their introduction, development, care, andmanufacture or exportation, with a view to introducing, establishing, andfostering new and valuable plants and industries;

(2)  Encourage and cooperate with the agricultural extensionservice and agricultural experiment station of the University of Hawaii and allprivate persons and organizations doing work of an experimental or educationalcharacter 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 ofthose persons and organizations;

(3)  Enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, orother transactions with any person, agency, or organization, public or private,as may be necessary in the conduct of the department's business and on suchterms as the department may deem appropriate; provided that the departmentshall not obligate any funds of the State, except the funds that have beenappropriated to the department.  Pursuant to cooperative agreement with anyauthorized federal agency, employees of the cooperative agency may bedesignated to carry out, on behalf of the State the same as departmentpersonnel, specific duties and responsibilities under chapters 141, 142, 150A,and rules adopted pursuant to those chapters, for the effective prosecution ofpest control and animal disease control and the regulation of import into theState and intrastate movement of regulated articles;

(4)  Secure copies of the laws of other states,territories, and countries, and other publications germane to the subjectmatters of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and make laws and publicationsavailable for public information and consultation;

(5)  Provide buildings, grounds, apparatus, andappurtenances necessary for the examination, quarantine, inspection, andfumigation provided for by chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A; for theobtaining, propagation, study, and distribution of beneficial insects, growths,and antidotes for the eradication of insects, blights, scales, or diseasesinjurious to vegetation of value and for the destruction of injuriousvegetation; and for carrying out any other purposes of chapters 141, 142, and144 to 150A;

(6)  Formulate and recommend to the governor andlegislature additional legislation necessary or desirable for carrying out thepurposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;

(7)  Publish at the end of each year a report of theexpenditures and proceedings of the department and of the results achieved bythe department, together with other matters germane to chapters 141, 142, and144 to 150A and that the department may deem proper;

(8)  Administer a program of agricultural planning anddevelopment, including the formulation and implementation of general andspecial plans, including but not limited to the functional plan foragriculture; administer the planning, development, and management of theagricultural park program; plan, construct, operate, and maintain the stateirrigation water systems; review, interpret, and make recommendations withrespect to public policies and actions relating to agricultural land and wateruse; assist in research, evaluation, development, enhancement, and expansion oflocal agricultural industries; and serve as liaison with other public agenciesand private organizations for the above purposes.  In the foregoing, thedepartment shall act to conserve and protect agricultural lands and irrigationwater systems, promote diversified agriculture, increase agriculturalself-sufficiency, and ensure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands;and

(9)  Manage, administer, and exercise control over anypublic lands, as defined under section 171-2, that are designated importantagricultural lands pursuant to section 205-44.5, including but not limited toestablishing priorities for the leasing of these public lands within thedepartment's jurisdiction. [L 1903, c 44, pt of §5; RL 1925, pt of §586; RL1935, 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; amL 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]