VOTING MEMBERSDAVID IGE

SUZANNE CASE
DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURALRESOURCESGOVERNOR OF HAWAIʻIJOSH GREEN

PHYLLIS SHIMABUKURO-GEISER
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORKEITH KAWAOKA D.Env
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHNICHOLAS COMERFORD, Ph.D.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻIHAWAIʻI INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI 96813

MARY ALICE EVANSDEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT & TOURISMDAVID RODRIGUEZ
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONPUBLIC MEETINGMINUTESHawaiʻi Invasive Species Council
August 27, 2020, 1:00 PM
Considering the evolving COVID-19 situation, protecting the health and welfare of thecommunity is of utmost concern. As such, the meeting was held remotely, with Council
members, legislative participants, and staff participating via online meeting software. The
meeting was livestreamed at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT6SAASZIUxd_XgZMCjGsQ
AGENDA
1. Call to order by Chair Case:a. 1:07 PM
2. Introductions:a. Council: Suzanne Case (Chair-DLNR), Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser (Chair HDOA), Jeff Goodwin (UH-CTAHR), Walter Bowin (UH-CTAHR), David
Rodriguez (HDOT), Mary Alice Evans (DBEDT), Keith Kawaoka (HDOH)
b. Legislators: Representative Wildberger, Representative Nakamura,
Representative Lowen, staff from the office of Senate President Ron Kouchi, RockRiggs (Senator Gabbard’s office)c. Guests: Justine Nihipali (Chair of RWG -DBEDT), Congressman Ed Case, Mitch
Heindrich (Congressman Case office),
d. HISC staff: Leyla Kaufman, Josh Atwood, Chelsea Arnott, Randy Bartlett
3. Approval of minutes from May 20, 2020 meeting:a. Co-chair Shimabukuro-Geiser moves to approve the minutes, member Rodriguez
seconds. Council approves.
4. Discussion: Congressman Ed Case on COVID19 relief funding, Forest bill and othernatural resources updatesa. Mitch is the legislative coordinator for environmental issues so continue to workwith him.
b. COVID-19: CARES Act passed with $3 trillion in relief funding, but the fundingis almost dry. Need another emergency assistance bill which passed congress butis stuck in Senate and still in the middle of an intense negotiation. Going to be atrue compromise where not everyone is getting what they want and trying to getthat passed soon. There is a need for assistance in natural resources where someof those funding streams will be drying up. Some funding related to agriculture.
Please reach out if there are any barriers to getting funding.
c. Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Act: Bill for pre-clearance for materials coming intoHawaiʻi via barges and air. Would instill a better biosecurity system similar toNew Zealand but needs a lot of socializing within Congress.
d. National Forest: no national forest in Hawaiʻi and there’s no reason we don’t
have one. Introduced a bill to creating a national forest in Hawaiʻi which is thefirst step in the process. It got passed out of the Nat Res and Appr. Committee.
Hopefully that moves out of the House.
e. Kaʻena Point National Heritage Bill: Better coordination amongst agencies.
More funding to leverage and more protection. Didn’t get this out of congress but
will do it again next year and made a lot of good progress.
f. Able to get more agricultural quarantine funding. Able to get educationalassistance in the agriculture area and also more money for ranching. Hoping
these funds will be available in the next fiscal years.
g. Open the conversation to look at areas that we are not currently addressing.
Please reach out. Great American Outdoors Act passed which is a large increasein federal funding. Not sure what the application is but it was just signed 3 weeks
ago. Need to figure out how Hawaiʻi can bebefit from this funding.
h. Mahalo from Suzanne Case and the Council for their work.
i. Shimabukuro-Geiser: HDOA updated their strategic plan based on a session from2019 Legislature. Included biosecurity initiative actions in the plan. Focused on
multi-agency collaboration highlighted in the biosecurity plan. Also focused on
local food production, marketing agricultural production and how to beter
support this. Offering a series of Zoom meetings to share srategic plan withstakeholders. Regroup after these meetings and take into account those comments
to provide a final report to the legislature. Appreciate the federal opportunities
including proposals for food insecure areas.
i. Congressman: We are already working on FY22 budget to be preparedand making sure Hawaiʻi isnʻt left out the picture. Hawaiʻi has somespeciality crops that are important that arenʻt necessarily known in DC.
j. Rep Nakamura: CARES Act funding to be extended beyond the end of the year?
i. Congressman: Confusion about what has to happen by the deadline. It
doesnʻt need to be spent by the deadline it just needs to be encumbered.
Mitch will send Rep Nakamura documentation to help explain this. There
are bills to extend some of these federal assistance money beyond the endof the year. Optimistic that these will pass. Disagreement on whether or
not there will be more money.
k. Rep Nakamura: Helicopter Billi. Congressman: Helicoper bill is gaining some traction in congress. Otherstates have tis issues of damage from tour operators. Continued
discussions inside the industry and community groups that are interested
in this topic. Now is the time for these tour operators are change the statusquo. Mitch to send some information to Rep Nakamura on this topic.
l. Rep Lowen: Also requests the guidance document from Mitch on the CARES Act.
Kupu Civilian Conservation Corp funding is hung up on an differing intepretation
about whether or not recent grads can apply for these kupu positions.
i. Congressman: There’s language in the current act that doesn’t allow thefunding to be used for “pre-budgeted” items. Interpretation is that if thisis a new position than there shouldn’t be any restrictions on those money
to hire someone into that position. The issue would be if your re-budgetingthe money to support pre-existing positions.
5. Submittal: Requesting approval of a recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2021a. Overview of FY 21 budget with a PowerPoint presentation. Attachment included
on website. Presented by Justine Nihipali, Josh Atwood, and Chelsea Arnott.
i. Appreciation from co-chairs about balancing such a competitive budget.
ii. Bowen: Wondering if there’s a lot of push-back from applicants with final
awards?
1. Chelsea: Josh has worked really hard at creating a process that isefficient, fair and transparent. Most applicants have seen thisimprovement over the time Josh has worked on the budget andunderstand the limited funding and the amount requested. A lot ofdiscussion takes place during the Resources Working Group andapplicant have a chance to comment unlike other grant processes.
iii. Rep Nakamura: Curious about the project that wasn’t funded for the “catcampaign”
1. Josh: This is a social marketing campaign that would be acompromise on messaging between conservationists and cat
advocates to work on a campaign to keep cats indoors. We
proposed this project last year but it was encumbered. Would still
like to see something on this but with the limited funding this is notthe year to support this project.
2. Motion to approve the budget submittal. Shimabukuro-Geiser
moves to approve. Evans seconds. Motion approved unanimously.
6. Public Comments
a. No submitted testimonyb. Comments on YouTube channel - Appreciation for the funding process that thecouncil uses.
c. Noting that this is a virtual meeting
7. Adjournment: 2:30 pm
The Council may go into Executive Session pursuant to Section 92-5(a) (4), Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, inorder to consult with its attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Council’s powers, duties,
privileges, immunities and liabilities.
For information, contact:
HISC Support staff: 1151 Punchbowl St, #325, Honolulu, HI 96813; Fax: 587-0160
Josh Atwood, Program Supervisor: 587-4154, Joshua.P.Atwood [at] hawaii.gov
Randy Bartlett, Interagency Coordinator: 870-6443, Randal.T.Bartlett [at] hawaii.gov
Leyla Kaufman, Mamalu Poepoe Project Coordinator: leyla [at] hawaii.edu
Chelsea Arnott, Planner: Chelsea.L.Arnott [at] hawaii.gov
Elizabeth Speith, 643pest.org Report Facilitator: speith [at] hawaii.edu