VOTING MEMBERSJOSH GREENDAWN CHANG
DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURALRESOURCES

GOVERNOR OF HAWAIISYLVIA LUKESHARON HURDHAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORKATHLEEN HO, D.Env
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHPARWINDER GREWAL.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘IHAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

MARY ALICE EVANS
BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &TOURISM
EDWIN SNIFFENDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DRAFT MEETING NOTESHawaiʻi Invasive Species Council
May 29, 2024; 1:00 PMHawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Board Room (Rm 132) 1151
Punchbowl St, Honolulu, HI, 96813
Per Hawaii Sunshine Law guidelines, this meeting was hybrid with attendees
participating virtually through a Zoom link provided by HISC Support Staff or through theHISC YouTube channel or in-person at the DLNR Board Room in the Kalanimoku
Building in Honolulu, HI. Council members, legislative representatives, and HISC
Resources Working Group members were provided with a Zoom link. Members of thepublic were able to view the meeting through the HISC YouTube Channel. A recording ofthe meeting can be found here: https://youtu.be/AznHvYVS6K0
1. Call to order• Opening comments for the hybrid committee meeting were made by Chair Hurdat 1:03pm.
2. Introductions
List of Attendees:• Council Voting Members:o Dawn Chang, Co-Chair (Department of Land and Natural Resources[DLNR]);o Sharon Hurd, Co-Chair [Hawai'i Department of Agriculture (HDOA)];o Tammy Lee on behalf of Ed Sniffen (Department of Transportation);o Parwinder Grewal (University of Hawaii [UH]); ando Matt Hurano (Department of Health• Legislative Non-Voting Members:o Representative Kristin Kahaloa (District 6).
o Elle Cochran (District 14);o Melani June (Senator Gabbard’s office);o Rebecca Crall (Senator DeCoite’s Office); ando Lisa Marten (District 51).
• Support Staff:
o Chelsea Arnott (HISC), Dexter Kishida (HDOA); Elizabeth Speith(HISC), Chuck Chimera (HISC); Jack Reef (HISC), Ellie Montgomery(HISC)• Other Participants:o Stephanie Easley (CGAPS)•Other Attendees:o Christy Martin (CGAPS); Danica Swenson; Thomas Heaton; KimeonaKane (Waimanalo Neighborhood Council); Patrick Chee (The WildlifeSociety); and Melanie Spielman (KMWP).

3. Approval of minutes from December 19, 2023 meeting• HISC approved the minutes from December 19, 2023.
o A motion of approval was made by Co-Chair Chang and seconded by
Member Hurano.
4. Presentations: Updates on 2024 Legislative Session from the Hawaiʻi Department ofAgriculture (HDOA) on House Bill 2619 Related to Agricultural Biosecurity andSenate Bill 572 Relating to Agriculture. (Non-Action item).
a. HB 2619 Requires HDOA to lead and coordinate the State's invasive pestcontrol and eradication biosecurity efforts. Establishes certain reporting
requirements. Appropriates funds to HDOA for programs and positions inagricultural biosecurity. Appropriates funds to each county as a grant-in-aid,
subject to a county match, for the implementation of feral chicken control
programs.
Dexter Kishida from HDOA provided a summary of the bill stating that it delineates
the following:• Gives HDOA the responsibility and funding to control priority pests suchas Little Fire Ant (LFA), Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), and Coqui
Frog, as well as feral chickens, Rose-Ringed Parakeets, and Two-Lined
Spittlebug.
• Funding and 44 positions was provided. Staff included Environmental
Health Specialists in pesticides branch, and Plant Quarantine inspectors
and entomologists.
b. SB 572 Authorizes and specifies conditions under which HDOA may declare abiosecurity emergency, during which HDOA and Governor may take certain
actions to prevent the establishment or spread of pests and prohibited orrestricted organisms. Broadens the objectives and general actions of theBiosecurity Program.
Dexter Kishida from HDOA provided a summary of the bill stating the following:• The bill provides HDOA specific parameters to request the Governor todeclare a biosecurity emergency regarding a significant economic orenvironmental problem. State resources can be commandeered, and theemergency.
Rep. Kahaloa added that HB 2546 was passed to allow fine mesh nets to protect
Coconut trees from CRB. The legislature asked for additional help to protect nativeplants, pollinators, and animals.
5. Informational Item: Interagency Memorandum of Understanding for theprevention, rapid response, and control or eradication of high priority pests
among the HDOA, DLNR, and UH. The purpose of this MOU is to document thecooperation, including the roles and responsibilities as set out in the MOU andattachments, in working together toward the shared goals of prevention, rapid

response, and control or eradication of High Priority Pests defined as coqui frog
(Eleutherodactylus coqui), little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), and coconut
rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) in the State of Hawaiʻi signed April 19, 2024.
Signed MOU and Little Fire Ant Matrix are included as reference material in aseparate attachment to this meeting packet.
(No decision-making on this item)
Chelsea Arnott from DLNR/HISC presented the provisions of the MOU as follows:• The MOU sets forth role & responsibilities to eradicate or control asappropriate the High Priority Pests of LFA, CRB, and Coqui Frog;• MOU partners included: DLNR, HDOA, and UH and its member
organizations; The island Invasive Species Committees of Kauai, O’ahu,Mau, and Hawaii, CGAPS, Hawaii Ant Lab; and CRB Response;• The MOU’s provisions call for the partners to engage in regularcommunication, data sharing, and identification of needed resources;• HISC will receive periodic updates of the MOU;
• The MOU was signed April 19, 2024;• Matrices detailing Roles and Responsibilities need to be drafted in threemonths of the signing day;• Response Plans:o LFA needs to be completed by September 2024; ando CRB and Coqui Response Plans need to be finalized in one year,by April 2025.
The Council discussed this item as follows:• Co-Chair Chang suggested that the milestones of the MOU be documented on thewebsite, as an engaged community is critical in addressing invasive species;• Co-Chair Hurd advised that neighborhood councils can be engaged, and thatHDOA has attended neighborhood council meetings such as the recent hearings inWaimanalo;• Chelsea Arnott, in response to a question by Rebecca Crall, stated that the MOU
was not structured based on “jurisdictions” as the partners included the major
agencies working on the issues. Partners such as DOT can be brought in as
needed. Tammy Lee advised that DOT is ready to take on duties as best it can;
• Kimeona Kane asked if the Department of Defense (DOD) was in the MOU;
Chelsea Arnott advised that similar to DOT, DOD can be consulted as needed.
• Rep. Kahaloa stated that biosecurity was an important topic of discussion toHawaii’s Washington DC Congressional delegation;• Co-Chair Chang stated that DOD provides funding through its REPI program, andthat it’s the federal government’s kuleana to address invasive species in theirareas, including adhering to biofouling and ballast water regulation;• Rep. Marten stated that REPI funds for OISC to address Coqui Frogs have beendelayed. In response, Chelsea Arnott advised that work is being to ensure thesefunds are received and disbursed as soon as possible;• Patrick Chee from the public asked about the role of biocontrol. In response, CoChair Hurd stated that biocontrol can be a help, but is not always a magic bullet,
including with CRB; and•

Representative Kahaloa stated that if the MOU Response Plans could becompleted or in draft form by January 2025 or possibly by “cross over” in thenext legislative session, then funding asks could be made to the legislature to help
address the three priority pests.

6. Submittal: Request for approval to initiate rulemaking proceedings, including
conducting public hearings on adoption new subtitle 13-14. Hawaii Administrative
Rules, to effectuate chapter 194, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including by developing alist of invasive species that could be controlled or eradicated on private and public
property by the departments of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council or a county oragent thereof;
AndDelegate authority to the DLNR Chairperson to set the dates and times for theaforementioned public hearing(s) and appoint a hearing officer for the publichearing(s).
Chelsea Arnott presented on this item as set forth below. Stephanie Easley with CGAPS
was available to answer questions.
• The submittal is the first step to initiate public hearings for the approval of HISC
Administrative Rules;
o Hawaii Revised Statute 194 created HISC to address harmful invasive
species, including providing HISC’s agents authority to access public andprivate property;
o HISC cannot carry out its statutory authority without the administrativerules;
o HDOA currently has this authority to gain access to property, but islimited to circumstances only when the property owner can“materially/financially” gain from the intervention;o The proposed HISC Administrative Rules would apply to a list of 20
invasive species for control and eradication;o Updating this list currently requires going through Chapter 91 publicrulemaking authority;o The list of 20 species includes: CRB, LFA, Coqui, Fountain Grass,
Miconia, and the Rapid O’hia death pathogen.
o The rules also detail:§ Noticing and warrant requirements; and§ Ordering both Public and Private property owners to takeeradication control actions.
•Patrick Chee provided testimony stating that the Hawaii Wildlife Society is
supportive of the rules, and hopes that the included list of invasive species can be
updated more quickly, rather than waiting for the lengthy public rule-making
process. Chelsea Arnott stated that statutory amendments are being considered to
speed up the process. Stephanie Easley advised that “emergency rulemaking” canbe done temporarily for 180 days (which would simultaneously provide time forthe public process to be initiated and completed);

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Representative Marten requested proposed language to provide HISC thestatutory amendment authority to update the lists administratively without having
to go through the public process;
Co-Chair Hurd, Dexter Kishida and Co-Chair Chang discussed HDOA’s new
authority under SB 572, to enter private property and businesses;
Chelsea Arnott advised that the list of 20 invasive species is “incomplete” butadvised that a smaller list was advised to be easier to get legislative approval;
Kiemona Kane stated that its better to expand this list now. The Waimanalo
neighborhood Council will agendize this item in a future meeting. Co-Chair
Chang advised that approval of this item today is just the start of the process, andopportunities may arise during the public hearings to amend and expand the list;
Melanie S. with KMWP asked if Albizia could be included in the list. Chelsea
Arnott advised that the list of 20 focuses on species that are not “widespread,” andthat albizia is considered widespread;
Stephanie Easley, in response to a question by Co-Chair Chang, said that HISC’sagents could potentially attain court approval to gain access to a property if theowner declines; andChelsea advised that technical changes to the list of species is needed.

Co-Chair Chang moved to approve the item, Member Hurano seconded. The item wasapproved and included an action to review the proposed technical amendments foraccuracy.
7. Adjournment
2:50 pm