VOTING MEMBERSDAVID IGE

SUZANNE CASE
DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURALRESOURCESGOVERNOR OF HAWAIISHAN TSUTSUISCOTT ENRIGHTHAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORKEITH KAWAOKA, D.Env
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
MARIA GALLO, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘IHAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

LEO ASUNCION
OFFICE OF PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF
BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &TOURISMDAVID RODRIGUEZDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONJanuary 17, 2017SUBMITTALTO:

Co-chairs and Members
Hawaii Invasive Species Council
State of Hawaii

FROM:

Rob Hauff, Control Working Group Chair
Forestry Protection Program Manager
Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife

SUBJECT:

Requesting a resolution recognizing the Rapid Ohia Death Responseorganizational structure and supporting close collaboration with the Hawaii
Invasive Species Council and its staff.

Background
Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) has the ability to quickly kill Hawaii’s most important forest
tree, threatening the state’s water supply, native ecosystems, cultural heritage, and visitor
industry. Caused by an introduced fungal pathogen, ROD could be the most damaging invasive
species to Hawaii’s natural resources to date. Much remains to be learned about the disease, butgovernment agencies are working together to manage the disease based on best available
knowledge. Scientists from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and HumanResources (CTAHR), USDA Forest Service (USFS), and USDA Agriculture Research Service(ARS) have been at the forefront of investigating the disease and communicating information tonatural resource managers and the public.
Discussion
Shortly after the cause of ROD was discovered, a working group was created to facilitate
exchange of information about ROD. Under USFS leadership, the working group meets every
month and is open to any interested party. The purpose of the ROD Working Group is tofacilitate inclusive ongoing discussions and communication on all issues related to ROD and toshare knowledge on a regular basis. Other subject area groups have formed around specificissues such as outreach and education, research, early detection and rapid response, as well as
island-based working groups to address island specific measures that can be taken to protect theirforests from ROD. All of these ad hoc groups meet on regular basis as well. The formation ofthese groups has occurred in a bottom-up, organic manner, and their success can be attributed tothe undisputed importance of ohia and the collaborative nature of natural resource managementin Hawaiʻi.
In November 2016, a Rapid Ohia Death Summit was hosted by Governor Ige at the state
capitol to provide the current state of knowledge on the disease, update decision makers onmanagement actions, and introduce the ROD Strategic Response Plan (SRP) written by a subcommittee of the ROD Working Group. The SRP expressed the need to move from a reactive
emergency response to a more organized and sustained strategic response. Among the steps
identified to accomplish this was the need to formalize a structure for decision-making to informthe response in a representative and transparent manner while providing oversight andaccountability to grantors and government officials.
The strategic planning committee that wrote the SRP continues to meet to discuss
feedback from the ROD Summit and the next steps needed to implement the plan. Committee
members have discussed at length how best to address this leadership body and have reviewed
examples from other organized responses to biological incursions. Important factors thecommittee has considered include avoiding the creation of additional bureaucracy andredundancy with existing invasive species groups. No legal authority or non-profit status appears
necessary for this group to operate successfully. The committee concludes that the best pathforward is to formalize the existing organizational structure and designate the existing strategicplanning committee the ROD Response Team. Recognition of this team and the overall ROD
response structure by the HISC would lend legitimacy to what has been to date an informalprocess.
This group currently includes representation from Department of Land and NaturalResources, University of Hawaii (CTAHR and Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit), USDA Forest
Service, USDA ARS, and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species. Additional groups tobe considered for inclusion are Hawaii Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department ofInterior.
The strategic planning committee recommends to the HISC that a ROD Response Teambe recognized and that:• The team includes designated representatives of core agencies listed above.
• The HISC Program Supervisor act as a representative of the HISC on the Teamand coordinates ROD matters with the HISC.
• The Team makes decisions by consensus and provides updates at monthly ROD
Working Group calls.
• A chairperson be selected to lead the group.
• Team members continue to participate in subject matter groups to keep the Team
informed on all ROD-related activities occurring statewide.
• The Team represents the ROD response nationally and internationally.
Legal Authority• HRS 194-2 authorizes the HISC to advise and coordinate invasive species-related efforts
with and between state, federal, international, and private programs.
Recommendations
That the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) adopt a resolution, recognizing the Rapid Ohia
Death Response Team as the lead entity for the Rapid Ohia Death response and supporting close
collaboration between the HISC and the ROD response at all levels. The HISC also requests that
the Response Team identify agency representatives for the agencies discussed in the submittal.
Attachments• Draft Resolution 17-3: Recognizing the Rapid Ohia Death Response Team as the leadentity for the Rapid Ohia Death response and supporting close collaboration between theHawaii Invasive Species Council and the Rapid Ohia Death response at all levels.
• ROD Strategic Response PlanAttachment 1: Draft HISC Resolution 17-3: Recognizing the Rapid Ohia Death Response
Team as the lead entity for the Rapid Ohia Death response and supporting closecollaboration between the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and the Rapid Ohia Death
response at all levels.
DRAFT RESOLUTION 17-3
RECOGNIZING THE RAPID OHIA DEATH RESPONSE TEAM AS THE LEAD ENTITYFOR THE RAPID OHIA DEATH RESPONSE AND SUPPORTING CLOSECOLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL AND THE
RAPID OHIA DEATH RESPONSE AT ALL LEVELSWHEREAS, the disease known as Rapid Ohia Death, caused by fungal pathogens in theCeratocystis genus, poses a substantial threat to Hawaii's ohia trees and native forests; andWHEREAS, a collaborative, multi-agency approach is the most appropriate response to thiscomplex problem; andWHEREAS, prevention and mitigation strategies have been developed by an ad-hoc, multiagency Rapid Ohia Death Response Team, including staff from the US Forest Service, US
Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and HumanResources, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources; andWHEREAS, formal recognition of this ad-hoc team as the lead entity for the Rapid Ohia Death
response may aid in obtaining resources and appropriate response authorities; andWHEREAS, Chapter 194, Hawaii Revised Statutes, authorizes the Hawaii Invasive Species
Council to advise and coordinate invasive species-related efforts with and between state, federal,international, and private programs, and to coordinate the State's position on issues regarding
invasive species; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council recognizes the Rapid Ohia Death
Response Team including but not limited to the US Forest Service, US Department ofAgriculture, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, andDepartment of Land and Natural Resources as the lead entity for the Rapid Ohia Death
Response; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council supports close
collaboration between the Council and the Rapid Ohia Death Response Team at all levels; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to theGovernor of Hawaii, the President of the State Senate, the Speaker of the State House ofRepresentatives, and to the directors or chairpersons of each HISC agency.
Adopted by the Hawaii Invasive Species Council on the following date: January 17, 2017

Suzanne D. Case, Department of Land & Natural

Scott Enright, Department of Agriculture

Resources
Keith Kawaoka, Department of HealthDavidRodriguez,
Transportation

DepartmentofLeo Asuncion, Office of Planning, Departmentof Business, Economic Development, andTourism

Rachel Novotny, Ph.D., University of Hawaii