DAVID IGE

VOTING MEMBERSGOVERNOR OF HAWAIISUZANNE CASE
DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES

JOSH GREEN
LIEUTENANT GOVERNORPHYLLIS SHIMABUKURO-GEISERHAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
KEITH KAWAOKA, D.Env
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHHAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

NICHOLAS COMERFORD, Ph.D.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘IMARY ALICE EVANSOFFICE OF PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS,ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISMDAVID RODRIGUEZDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONRESOLUTION 21-1
SUPPORTING THE PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION & OPERATION OF PACIFICREGIONAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL FACILITIES IN HAWAIʻI AND COMMITTINGAGENCY ENGAGEMENTWHEREAS, the State of Hawaiʻi, as an archipelago of volcanic origin, has unique natural andcultural resources threatened by the introduction, spread and establishment of non-native invasive
species; andWHEREAS, the term “biocontrol” or “biological control” refers to the selection and introductionof a natural enemy to control an introduced pest that poses risks to the environment, economy,
human health, and human well-being; andWHEREAS, certain types of invasive species have spread beyond the ability to effectively
control through chemical and/or mechanical means; andWHEREAS, biological control is a cost-effective and sustainable tool that has been successfully
employed across the globe for long-term management of some of the world’s worst pests andweeds; andWHEREAS, Hawaiʻi has a long history of safely and effectively using biological control toreduce pest populations and their impacts for the benefit of the islands’ forests, rangelands,farms, nurseries, and people; andWHEREAS, federal and state agencies in Hawaiʻi have a long history of collaboration to meetthe needs of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific islands; andWHEREAS, capacity for biocontrol research has not kept pace with the introduction and spreadof invasive species; andWHEREAS, current biocontrol programs are poorly equipped for present and future needs due toreduced staffing and under-sized, aging facilities that lack adequate containment facility
standards to work on smaller organism; andWHEREAS, Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture, Hawaiʻi Department of Land & NaturalResources, the University of Hawaiʻi, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service,
Agricultural Research Services and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services together withother federal & state agencies, private and non-profit partners formed the Biocontrol Working
Group to collaboratively pursue the planning, construction, and operation of new, state-of-the-art
biological control research and development facilities; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council recognizes the need for new
regional biological control research facilities to collaboratively conduct and develop safe andeffective biological controls for priority agricultural and environmental pests; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council recognizes Hawaii’s
need for modern biocontrol facilities and additional researchers as a top priority in the Hawai‘iInteragency Biosecurity Plan and the Western Governors Association’s initiative on biosecurity
and invasive species; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council supports the efforts ofthe Biocontrol Working Group to pursue funding assistance toward planning, construction, andeventual operation of new, state-of-the-art biological control facilities in Hawaiʻi that can serve
as a regional research center for biological control programs benefiting Hawaii, the mainland
U.S. and the Pacific region; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to theGovernor of Hawaiʻi, the President of the State Senate, and the Speaker of the State House ofRepresentatives.

Adopted by the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council on the following date: June 9, 2021.

Suzanne D. Case, Dept. of Land & NaturalResources

Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser,
Agriculture

Dept.

Gracelda Simmons, Dept. of HealthDavid Rodriguez, Dept. of Transportation

ofNicholas Comerford
Mary Alice Evans, Office of Planning, Dept. ofBusiness, Economic Development, and Tourism

Nicholas Comerford, Ph.D., University ofHawaii