Hawaiʻi County CRB Resolution Update and Maui/Lānaʻi/Hawaiʻi Island Action Alert!
UPDATE July 24, 2026:
Great news! The Hawaiʻi County Council Governmental Relations and External Affairs Committee voted to advance Resolution 603-26, calling for the meaningful implementation of the West Hawaiʻi Island coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) interim rule 26-1. Mahalo nui to Committee Chair Kagiwada, Vice Chair Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, the Committee members, and all the testifiers who supported this critical call for action.
Now, on Tuesday, July 28, at 9 a.m., the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB) is scheduled to make a final decision on the interim CRB rule to protect Maui and Lānaʻi, as petitioned for last month by the Lahaina Community Land Trust. In addition, BAB will consider a much-needed amendment to the West Hawaiʻi CRB rule, to ensure all big box stores in Kona are subject to the rule’s critical requirements. Please take a moment to get these rule proposals past the finish line, by submitting testimony today or as soon as can!
Sample testimony and testimony instructions below.
Mahalo nui!
Wayne
TESTIMONY INSTRUCTIONS
Written Testimony:
E-mail your testimony to DAB.BOARD.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV, with “Testimony: IV.C.1 and IV.C.2” in the subject line.
Verbal Testimony:
In person: Attend the meeting in-person at the Plant Quarantine Branch, 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96819 at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28.
Virtual: Log into the meeting via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82239867706 and use the “raise hand” option when calls for public testimony are announced.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY
To: DAB.BOARD.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
Subject: Testimony on Agenda Items IV.C.1 and IV.C.2
Aloha Chair Hurd and Members of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity,
My name is [your name] and I respectfully urge you to PASS both rule proposals in agenda items IV.C.1 and IV.C.2.
Mahalo nui for your leadership in recognizing the critical need to significantly tighten up our biosecurity framework, with respect to the highly destructive coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB). As you are well aware, Maui, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island are all under the imminent threat of CRB introductions and outbreaks that could lead to devastating consequences for these islands - and raise the risk of CRB being further spread to non-infested areas in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
The interim rule proposed under agenda item IV.C.1 accordingly adds a much-needed layer of protection against additional introductions of CRB to Maui and Lānaʻi, as demonstrated by the multiple detections of CRB on both islands in recent months. Notably, this rule does not prohibit interisland movement of CRB host material other than non-bare root plants, but only requires that such CRB host material be subject to treatment before being moved from other places in Hawaiʻi (such as West Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu, where CRB has proliferated) to either island.
I also appreciate and support the proposed exception for plants moved by the Rare Plants Program, which are raised from seed in sterilized, non-live growing media; kept entirely in a closed lab setting; transported in hard, CRB-proof containers; and provided to Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) staff for inspection. This exception will allow for the propagation of plant species that are at risk of total extinction, including loulu, with essentially zero risk of CRB movement.
The interim rule amendment in agenda item IV.C.2, meanwhile, is critical to ensuring that the requirements of CRB interim rule 26-1 apply to a big box store located in the CRB-infested region in West Hawaiʻi Island. This store, which sells potted plants, bagged soil, mulch, and other CRB host material, is a high-risk vector for the further spread of CRB, and should obviously be subject to the training and compliance agreement requirements of the interim rule.
Thank you again for your leadership, sense of urgency, and clear direction that has led to the rapid adoption of these critical regulatory responses to the CRB crisis. With the adoption and implementation of these rule proposals, the all-hands-on-deck effort to hold the line against this highly invasive pest may have a real chance of succeeding.
Mahalo nui for your consideration of this matter.
UPDATE- JULY 20, 2026: Hawaiʻi County CRB Resolution and Maui Lānaʻi Rules
What Is Resolution 603-26—and Why Does It Matter?
By Rebecca Holloway (volunteer guest author)
On July 22, at 9 a.m., the Hawai’i County Council Governmental Relations and External Affairs Committee will hear a new Resolution (603-26), which urges the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to fully implement and enforce the state's existing quarantine rule to help slow the spread of the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) on Hawaiʻi Island.
A resolution is the County of Hawai’i Council’s formal way of expressing support for an action or priority. It signals the County’s position and represents a vital call for action.
What is at stake?
CRB is a highly destructive pest and poses a significant threat to our community. By damaging important plants such as niu, loulu, hala, kalo, maia (banana), sugarcane, ʻulu, and more, CRB poses serious risks to local food security, Hawaiian cultural resources, and the health of our ʻāina.
What has happened so far?
Since CRB larvae were first detected in Waikoloa in 2023, additional detections have confirmed the beetle's presence at multiple locations, clustered around the Kona area. See a map of beetle detections here.
In March 2025, CRB was detected at the Kona airport, and the earliest known beetle damage in Kona was documented in early 2025. Researchers suspect the beetle was introduced to the Keahole Agricultural Park area as larvae in organic material, such as soil or mulch, transported from Oʻahu. Despite the issuance of a county “voluntary” stop-movement order, CRB continued to spread, with beetles detected as far south as Keauhou in 2026. To better contain this spread, an interim emergency rule was adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity in March 2026.
How do CRB spread?
The primary way CRB spreads is through the movement of host material—such as mulch, compost, wood chips, dead palm material, and other decaying plant material where beetle larvae can develop and spread. This movement of infested materials is believed to be the main way CRB spreads to new locations.
Unlike some other flying insects, CRB can be described as “slow and lazy flyers”, and typically spread only short distances (up to approximately 850 yd) on their own, making the movement of infested materials the primary way the beetle reaches new locations.
The CRB prevention response on Hawai’i Island so farhas involved coordinated efforts by state and county government agencies, University of Hawaiʻi project teams, dedicated CRB response program managers, and community partners. Actions have included locating and removing breeding sites, trapping and monitoring beetle populations, treating vulnerable palms, conducting public awareness measures, and adopting voluntary restrictions on moving CRB host material while longer-term regulations were in development.
In March 2026, DAB adopted Plant Quarantine Interim Rule 26-1, which regulates the movement of CRB host material from infested areas. The rule requires businesses and individuals transporting regulated material to complete a training, enter into a compliance agreement with DAB, and follow best practices that reduce the risk of spreading CRB.
What does this new Resolution do?
While the Plant Quarantine rule is already in place, implementation has been slow. Resolution 603-26 encourages DAB to urgently move implementation forward by enforcing the rule, expediting compliance agreements, increasing public awareness of its requirements, and designating a Hawaiʻi Island-based staff point of contact to assist businesses and residents.
The bottom line: Resolution 603-26 calls for existing protections to limit CRB’s spread to be fully implemented so Hawaiʻi Island can more effectively stop the beetle from reaching devastating levels, and causing widespread damage to our ecosystems and communities.
Testimony Instructions and Sample Testimony
Testimony Instructions:
Verbal Testimony: Testify to the Hawaiʻi County Council Governmental Relations and External Affairs Committee at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, in-person at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, or at the following courtesy sites:
Ocean View Community Association, 92-8924 Leilani Circle;
Pāhoa Council Office, 15-2879 Pāhoa Village Road; and
Waimea Council Office, Parker Square, 65-1279 Kawaihae Road, Suite 109
or
Virtually by emailing councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.govor call (808)961-8255 to request a Zoom link.
Written Testimony:
E-mail your testimony to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov by 12 noon on Tuesday, July 21, with “Testimony: Resolution 603-26” in the subject line.
Sample Testimony
To: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov
Subject: Testimony on Res. 603-26
Aloha e Chair Kagiwada, Vice Chair Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, and members of the Hawaiʻi County Council Committee on Governmental Relations and External Affairs,
My name is ______ and I am writing in STRONG SUPPORT of Resolution 603-26, urging the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to take seriously the interim “emergency” coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) rules for West Hawaiʻi, adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB) in March.
The CRB situation on Hawaiʻi Island is dire. With CRB detections in a region that now stretches from Waikōloa to Keauhou, we must do everything we can to stop or slow its spread - before it is too late. Unfortunately, as outlined in this resolution, the need for much more timely action by DAB has been and continues to be a critical gap in this all-hands-on-deck effort.
DAB’s months-long delays in advancing regulations to mitigate high-risk vectors, such as businesses selling potted plants and other CRB host material, has contributed significantly to the current crisis. As this resolution notes, it was only through the initiative of local nonprofits and a groundswell of public support did DAB put the current CRB interim rules before the BAB.
Despite their adoption in March, another months-long delay in the implementation of these rules is leaving the entire island at daily risk of CRB introductions. While a handful of compliance agreements have been issued, there is still no designated DAB point-of-contact to facilitate continued implementation, much more community awareness is still needed, and whether and how any necessary enforcement will be carried out is unclear.
To be clear, the stakes are extremely high, and the threat is imminent. While the drier conditions in West Hawaiʻi still give us a chance to contain this devastating pest, should breeding populations of CRB be established in places like Hilo, Puna, or anywhere else with high levels of vegetation, containment and eradication may quickly become impossible. The meaningful implementation and enforcement of DAB’s interim rules will give us the best chance at preventing such an outcome.
Please help us avoid the tragic consequences now unfolding on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, where CRB has become established after years of DAB inaction. Please pass this resolution and its common sense, extremely reasonable call for DAB to treat our CRB situation as the emergency it is: by designating a dedicated staff point of contact for the rules, raising public awareness of their requirements, and enforcing their provisions as necessary.
Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.
Update on Maui Lānaʻi CRB Rules:
On Friday, the Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals unanimously recommended that the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity adopt interim rules to protect Maui and Lānaʻi from the devastating coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB). These rules would prohibit the movement of potted plants and untreated CRB host material to Maui and Lānaʻi. In making its recommendation, the Advisory Committee agreed that they were clearly needed to address a CRB emergency, after multiple recent detections of CRB on these islands demonstrated the inadequacy of existing safeguards.
Mahalo nui to the Advisory Committee members; the Lahaina Community Land Trust, who petitioned for these rules; Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity staff, who facilitated their progress; and for the many, many individuals who took the time to submit their testimony in support of their progress. Please stay tuned for the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity's FINAL approval of these rules, likely to take place at its next meeting on July 28.
UPDATE JULY 16, 2026
Mahalo nui to all who have advocated for regulations to slow the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) across our islands. Thanks to your efforts, CRB interim rules were adopted for West Hawaiʻi Island in March, and the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB) agreed to move forward with similar rules to protect Maui and Lānaʻi last month.
This week and next, there will be two opportunities to build on these wins.
First, Friday, July 17, at 1:30 p.m.,the Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals (ACPA) will make a recommendation on a rule proposal submitted by the Lahaina Community Land Trust, to prohibit the movement of potted plants and untreated CRB host material to Maui and Lānaʻi. These rules will be critical to stemming the flow of CRB to these islands, as highlighted by multiple recent CRB detections - including the discovery of numerous live adult CRB in Wailuku in early June. Please take a few moments to testify to the ACPA in support of these rules - sample testimony and testimony instructions below.
Second, on July 22, at 9 a.m., the Hawaiʻi County Council Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee will consider a resolution urging the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to meaningfully implement the interim CRB rules for West Hawaiʻi Island. Despite over two dozen compliance trainings for area businesses by the Big Island Invasive Species Committee in the weeks following the rules’ adoption, DAB failed to issue any compliance agreements as required for months, and Plant Quarantine managers have refused to designate any staff point of contact to help implement and enforce these “emergency” rules.
This resolution calls for DAB to designate a staff point of contact and take other common sense, basic steps to implement and ensure compliance with the West Hawaiʻi CRB rules, and will need a strong showing of support to make the urgency of the situation clear. Testimony and testimony instructions are also found below.
Mahalo nui for taking the time to show DAB leadership, elected officials, and the public at large that we must not simply allow the CRB to take over our islands. Your testimony will send a clear message that DAB must not continue sitting on its hands while the rest of our agencies, mālama ʻāina organizations, and communities do their part to fight back against this devastating pest.
Maui Lānaʻi Rules Testimony Instructions and Sample Testimony
Testimony Instructions:
Verbal Testimony: Testify to the Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17, in-person at the Plant Quarantine Branch Conference Room, 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96819, or virtually via https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88301456890 .
Written Testimony: E-mail DAB.PQ.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV with “Testimony: Maui Lānaʻi CRB Rules” in the subject line
Sample Testimony:
To: DAB.PQ.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
Subject: Testimony: Maui Lānaʻi CRB Rules
Aloha Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals,
My name is _____ and I am writing to urge your support of the interim rules as called for by the Lahaina Community Land Trust, to address critical biosecurity gaps that have likely contributed to the multiple recent detections of coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) on Maui and Lānaʻi.
This is an emergency. The CRB situation on Oʻahu and West Hawaiʻi Island, where potted plants and CRB host material are regularly shipped to the neighbor islands - including Maui and Lānaʻi - is getting worse by the day. Multiple CRB detections and suspected breeding sites in Central Maui are also diverting critical local biosecurity resources needed to respond to new CRB introductions in Maui County. Meanwhile, the needed response to the discovery of a live female CRB in Hilo means less biosecurity resources are available to share between these islands.
As you know, any additional CRB introductions to Maui or Lānaʻi could easily lead to outbreaks that become exponentially harder and more expensive to detect and eradicate - and that could result in the same devastating consequences now unfolding on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.
The excuse put forward by DAB staff as to why this is not an emergency situation - that CRB has been in the islands for over a decade, and that a solution might be found soon - is preposterous.
Please don’t let illogical excuses divert your attention from what is at stake. Please make the common sense findings that 1) existing rules are clearly insufficient to prevent the spread and establishment of CRB on Maui and Lānaʻi; 2) the resulting risk to public health and safety and/or the ecological health of flora and fauna in Hawaiʻi is an emergency, justifying interim rulemaking; and 3) the adoption of an interim rule to prohibit the movement of potted plants or untreated CRB host material to Maui and Lānaʻi from anywhere else in Hawaiʻi is necessary to prevent the spread of CRB to these islands.
Mahalo nui for your consideration of this matter.
Hawaiʻi County Council Resolution Testimony Instructions and Sample Testimony
Testimony Instructions:
Verbal Testimony: Testify to the Hawaiʻi County Council Governmental Relations and External Affairs Committee at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, in-person at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, or at the following courtesy sites:
Ocean View Community Association, 92-8924 Leilani Circle;
Pāhoa Council Office, 15-2879 Pāhoa Village Road; and
Waimea Council Office, Parker Square, 65-1279 Kawaihae Road, Suite 109
or
Virtually by emailing councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov or call (808)961-8255 to request a Zoom link.
Written Testimony:
E-mail your testimony to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov by 12 noon on Tuesday, July 21, with “Testimony: Resolution 603-26” in the subject line.
Sample Testimony
To: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov
Subject: Testimony or Res. 603-26
Aloha e Chair Kagiwada, Vice Chair Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, and members of the Hawaiʻi County Council Committee on Governmental Relations and External Affairs,
My name is ______ and I am writing in STRONG SUPPORT of Resolution 603-26, urging the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to take seriously the interim “emergency” coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) rules for West Hawaiʻi, adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB) in March.
The CRB situation on Hawaiʻi Island is dire. With CRB detections in a region that now stretches from Waikōloa to Keauhou, we must do everything we can to stop or slow its spread - before it is too late. Unfortunately, as outlined in this resolution, the need for much more timely action by DAB has been and continues to be a critical gap in this all-hands-on-deck effort.
DAB’s months-long delays in advancing regulations to mitigate high-risk vectors, such as businesses selling potted plants and other CRB host material, has contributed significantly to the current crisis. As this resolution notes, it was only through the initiative of local nonprofits and a groundswell of public support did DAB put the current CRB interim rules before the BAB.
Now, DAB’s continued foot-dragging in implementing these interim rules, adopted in March, is leaving the entire island at daily risk of becoming the next CRB-infested region.
To be clear, the stakes are extremely high, and the threat is imminent. While the drier conditions in West Hawaiʻi still give us a chance to contain this devastating pest, should breeding populations of CRB be established in places like Hilo, Puna, or anywhere else with high levels of vegetation, containment and eradication may quickly become impossible. The meaningful implementation and enforcement of DAB’s interim rules will give us the best chance at preventing such an outcome.
Please help us avoid the tragic consequences now unfolding on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, where CRB has become established after years of DAB inaction. Please pass this resolution and its common sense, extremely reasonable call for DAB to treat our CRB situation as the emergency it is: by designating a dedicated staff point of contact for the rules, raising public awareness of their requirements, and enforcing their provisions as necessary.
Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.
UPDATE JUNE 23, 2026
In May, two adult coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) and larvae were found during an inspection and quarantine process in potted plants shipped to Lāna‘i. This was not the first time: two separate shipments to Lānaʻi in 2025 also had CRB. Maui also had a recent CRB detection in April, when an adult beetle was found near the Kahului airport.
Given the clear need for stronger protections against future introductions of this devastating pest, the Lahaina Community Land Trust filed an emergency petition with the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, to prohibit the shipment of potted plants or untreated host material to Maui and Lāna‘i. This petition will be considered by the Board next Tuesday, June 23, at 9 a.m.Your testimony is critical to ensuring that the Board moves this petition forward with appropriate urgency.
Notably, after the petition was submitted, multiple adult CRB were found on June 4 and June 8 by Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity staff in Waikapū, Maui. Interagency teams are working quickly to determine the location of a potential breeding site and to follow up on any potential movement prior to detection. This situation underscores the urgency of the Lahaina Community Land Trust petition, especially as resources needed to respond to new CRB introductions are diverted to address this latest potential outbreak.
Without immediate, emergency intervention to prevent new introductions, Maui and Lānaʻi will continue to be at risk of continual CRB infestations that may be impossible to recover from.
Beyond the petition, community education and voluntary action will also be needed in the coming months to help identify any CRB source populations, as well as reduce the movement of CRB host material within Maui, until the extent of any potential infestation in Central Maui is fully investigated.
Advocacy, education, and voluntary protective action are critical now, and in the coming months.
There are two things we all can and must do, to protect Maui, Lānaʻi, and, due to its proximity, Molokaʻi, from experiencing the heartbreaking devastation that the CRB is inflicting on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.
Please take action now, and spread the word to your friends and networks:
Submit testimony in SUPPORT of the emergency rule petition submitted by the Lahaina Community Land Trust, scheduled for the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s consideration on Tuesday, June 23, at 9 a.m. (and testify verbally via Zoom here, if can). Sample testimony and testimony instructions below!
If you live on Maui,
DO NOT transport any potted plants or untreated soil, mulch, compost, or green waste.
Regularly turn over any mulch, compost or other host material you have on your property to check for larvae and eggs - especially if you or your neighbors may have recently acquired plants or host material from Central Maui.
Treat your home compost pile by heating it to at least 130º F.
Set up a detection trap. A limited supply of detection traps are also available from the Maui Invasive Species Council - contact them here or at crbmisc@hawaii.edu.
Keep any suspected CRB (adults or larvae) in a hard-lined container (they can chew through soft plastic) and report it to 643-PEST(7378) or 643pest.org.
Check palms for CRB feeding damage visible as V-shaped cuts in the leaves or bore holes in the frond and report it (with photos) to 643pest.org or 643-PEST (7378). Learn what to look for here.
A few moments of your time could save generations’ worth of devastation from the ecological, cultural, agricultural, and economic impacts of CRB. Please take action today!
Mahalo nui,
Wayne
Testimony Instructions
Written:
E-mail: DAB.BOARD.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
Subject line: “Testimony on Agenda Item IV.B.2” (sample testimony below)
Deadline: Sunday, June 21 if can (Monday may be considered “late” but is still okay).
Verbal:
In-person:
Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity Plant Quarantine Branch, 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, 96819-3100 at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23.
Remotely:
Zoom link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87439855230) at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23.
Sample Testimony
TO: DAB.BOARD.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
SUBJECT: Testimony on Agenda Item IV.B.2
Aloha Chair Hurd and Members of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity,
My name is [your name] and [your home] is my home. I strongly urge you to MOVE FORWARD with the emergency and interim rules proposed in the Lahaina Community Land Trust petition, and to direct Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity staff to ensure that these rules are brought to the Board for final approval by your next scheduled meeting.
The CRB situation in Maui County was already alarming enough, with the prior multiple detections of CRB on Lānaʻi and Maui over the past three months. The most recent discovery of several adult CRB in Waikapū has made clear that without agency intervention, Maui and Lāna‘i will continue to experience new CRB introductions that could quickly lead to devastating consequences.
This is an emergency situation. We must stop all potential pathways for additional CRB to make their way to Maui and Lānaʻi - especially now, as Maui frontline workers must focus their education, investigation, and eradication resources on a potential CRB infestation in Central Maui.
These rules are absolutely critical to preventing or mitigating CRB outbreaks on Maui and Lānaʻi before it is too late. Please direct Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity staff to move forward with these rules with the utmost urgency, and to ensure that they are brought back for final approval as soon as possible - and no later than your next regular meeting.
Mahalo nui for your prompt attention to this matter.
[your name]