Demand more action from the Agriculture Department
The Board of Agriculture will be holding their next meeting on Tuesday, August 27 at 9am. The proposed rule amendments to establish an inter- and intra-island quarantine for pest-infested plants and materials is missing from the agenda again, but the board will be discussing updates on their (apparently non-existent) Invasive Species Action Plan(s). You can refresh your memory on what we learned about these plans from the last meeting in June here. Be sure to tune in and let the Board know we are still waiting for their Department to pass its long-pending quarantine rules.
It’s been 541 days since the quarantines were proposed and 205 days since the public hearing. In this time, coconut rhinoceros beetles and little fire ants have infested new communities, making eradication that much more difficult. Join us next Tuesday to continue to call on the Board of Agriculture and its department leaders to adopt the rule amendments and make meaningful progress on their legally mandated Invasive Species Action Plans. Public testimony will be accepted on the Invasive Species Action Plan Updates and written testimony is encouraged. Details below:
Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture Meeting
Tuesday, August 27 at 9am, view the agenda here
In-person: Plant Quarantine Branch, 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, 96819
Virtually: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88523051656
Written testimony can be submitted to: hdoa.board.testimony@hawaii.gov
Subject line: Testimony re: VI.1 Invasive Species Action Plan Updates
Sample testimony:
Aloha e Chair Hurd and members of the Board of Agriculture,
My name is [first name] from [place name]. Thank you again for providing updates on the department’s Invasive Species Action Plans. These updates are appreciated but with the rapid spread of invasive pests throughout our islands, the updates do not reflect the level of urgency communities feel while keiki, kūpuna, and pets are experiencing painful bites and niu and other crops are being decimated.
It has been 18 months since amendments to HAR Chapter 4-72 were first proposed to establish intra- and inter-island quarantines for pest-infested plants and materials, and seven months since the public hearing was held. This delay is unacceptable.
These quarantine rules are crucial in the all-hands-on-deck fight against the rapid spread of invasive pests like little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles, which continue to appear in new areas and on new islands. Businesses such as nurseries and landscapers are significant vectors for the spread of these pests, including into regions where they had been previously eradicated.
[Optional: include your own story, perspective, or experiences with invasive pests here.]
Therefore, I respectfully and strongly urge the Board to ensure that the Department brings the proposed quarantine rule amendments for your review and approval at your next meeting. The Department needs these long-overdue regulatory tools to ensure that current and future community efforts to combat invasive pests are not in vain.
Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.