VOTING MEMBERSNEIL ABERCROMBIEWILLIAM J. AILA, JRDEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURALRESOURCES

GOVERNOR OF HAWAIISHAN TSUTSUISCOTT ENRIGHTHAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORGARY GILL
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
MARIA GALLO, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘IHAWAI‘I INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

LEO ASUNCION
OFFICE OF PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF
BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &TOURISMDAVID RODRIGUEZDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

October 28, 2014SUBMITTALTO:

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

FROM:

Joshua Atwood, Invasive Species Coordinator
Hawaii Invasive Species Council / Department of Land and Natural Resources

SUBJECT:

Request for a resolution endorsing the overarching goals and recommendations ofthe Regional Biosecurity Plan for Micronesia and Hawaii

Background
The U.S. Department of Defense (USDOD) has developed the Regional Biosecurity Plan forMicronesia and Hawaii (RBP, formerly known as the Micronesian Biosecurity Plan) in
anticipation of relocation of military personnel and operations from Okinawa, Japan toalternative locations in the Pacific potentially including Guam, the Commonwealth of theNorthern Marianas Islands (CNMI), and Hawaii. The anticipated increase in military transport inMicronesia and Hawaii is associated with an elevated risk for the movement of invasive species.
The USDOD has provided over $3,700,000 to develop the RBP to help minimize this risk. The
RBP includes the following components:
1. Risk analyses for potential pathways and impacted ecosystems, including:a. Terrestrial organisms and ecosystems, assessed by the US Department ofAgricultureb. Freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates, assessed by the US Geological Survey
c. Marine organisms and freshwater plants, assessed by the Smithsonian Institute
2. Recommendations and suggested action items to minimize risks both at a regional andjurisdictional level. Jurisdictions within the RBP scope of work include:a. U.S. Regionb. Hawaiic. Guamd. CNMIe. Republic of Palau
f. Republic of the Marshall Islands
g. Federated States of Micronesia (National), as well as specific recommendations
for Yap, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Chuukh. Recommendations specific to USDOD
Development of the RBP began in 2009, initially focused on risk analyses produced by federalagencies. In 2011, Phil Andreozzi of the US National Invasive Species Council (NISC) provided

a briefing on RBP progress to cabinet members of the State of Hawaii. In January 2012, theHawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) supported the RBP review and implementation processby adopting Resolution 12-1, “Supporting the Micronesian Biosecurity Plan Review andImplementation, and Requesting the Inclusion of Hawai‘i as a Potential Recipient of InvasiveSpecies.” In October 2012, the University of Guam (contracted as the coordinating agency for
RBP review) released the draft risk analyses for review to biosecurity experts in impacted
jurisdictions, including Hawaii. In July 2013, University of Guam staff conducted scoping
meetings in Hawaii to gather input on the development of biosecurity recommendations andaction items in Hawaii. The resulting matrix of jurisdictional recommendations was released forreview in draft form in March 2014, with final edits submitted following a regional workshop in
Guam in May 2014. This workshop was attended by Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA)
chair and HISC co-chair Scott Enright, HDOA Acting Plant Quarantine Branch Manager Darcy
Oishi, and HISC Program Supervisor Joshua Atwood. The final RBP, including risk analyses andrecommendations, is anticipated to be finalized by University of Guam and published by theUSDOD by the end of 2014.
Requested Endorsement of Overarching Goals and Hawaii-based Recommendations
Following the submission of final comments at the final RBP workshop in May 2014, workshop
participants agreed to seek from their respective governments an endorsement of the overarchinggoals of the RBP and the general recommendations for their respective jurisdiction. Though
University of Guam staff suggested specific action items associated with these recommendations,workshop participants agreed that the RBP should be considered a living document, and that thespecific action items associated with each recommendation would require detailed review andconsideration by stakeholders in each jurisdiction. Therefore, endorsement is requested only foroverarching goals and recommendations, not for specific action items.
Workshop participants agreed that endorsement of the recommendations included in the RBP
does not obligate a jurisdiction to implement or fund specific actions, but provides suggested
focal areas for future projects that may result in enhanced biosecurity both within jurisdictions
across the region.
Overarching goals of the RBP (applying to all jurisdictions):
1. Ensuring that biosecurity legislation is in place for all jurisdictions
2. Development of sustainable and appropriate funding streams which may include costrecovery mechanisms
3. Improving engagement from all levels of society in regards to biosecurity and invasive
alien species (IAS)
4. Improving communication and cooperation throughout the region using a cohesive multitiered mechanism to include jurisdictional, national and region structures
5. Improving biosecurity for terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems within thejurisdictions and across the region
Jurisdictional Recommendations for Hawaii:
1. Pre-border/border Recommendations
a. Increase biosecurity surveillance measures and interception at both military andcommercial airports and harbors including all entry points and screening
checkpoints
b. Improve intra-state biosecurity and biosecurity addressing foreign arrivals at ports
other than the main air and sea ports2.

3.

4.

5.

c. Improve biosecurity for the movement of vehicles, equipment
d. Improve mail biosecurity
e. Improve capacity to detect pests in wood packaging material
f. Improve capacity to regulate the importation of live organisms
g. Reduce risk associated with live traded species
h. Improve pre-border biosecurity
Post Border Recommendations
a. Improve early detection and rapid response capacityb. Increase management and control of established invasive species
c. Improve efforts to restore native ecosystems and species
Marine Systems Recommendations
a. Establish and enforce biofouling standards
b. Establish and enforce ballast water standardsc. Increase marine system protection from invasive species
Regional Partnership Recommendations
a. Support and improve regional coordination regarding biosecurity and IAS
b. Support regional agreements to limit the movement of known harmful species
c. Improve regional communication on invasive species and biosecurity issues andsupport of jurisdictional and regional efforts
d. Support the establishment of a regional invasive species coordination office. The
regional IAS coordination office would serve as a focal point, coordinating body,communication and information center, and training resource for biosecurity
activities throughout the region.
e. Support regional biosecurity and invasive species control efforts
f. Ensure that the RBP remains relevant by updating recommendation components
on a regular basis
General Biosecurity Recommendations
a. Identify knowledge gaps for existing IAS concernsb. Increase outreach and education on biosecurity and invasive species
c. Improve communications and ability to address biosecurity concerns between
USDOD and civilian government agencies
d. Improve agriculture biosecurity and food security
e. Address climate change linkages to invasive pests
f. Improve Statewide biosecurity and coordination
g. Improve laws and regulations
h. Evaluate social, cultural, economic, and ecological values that may be impacted
by invasions by non-native species.

Draft HISC Resolution
A draft HISC resolution is attached to this submittal. This resolution would constituteendorsement of the overarching goals of the RBP and the jurisdictional recommendations forHawaii. This resolution does not obligate the HISC to implement or fund specific actions, but
may provide strategic guidance for prioritizing future programs or projects.

VOTING MEMBERSNEIL ABERCROMBIEWILLIAM J. AILA, JRDEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURALRESOURCES

GOVERNOR OF HAWAIISHAN TSUTSUISCOTT ENRIGHTHAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORGARY GILL
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
MARIA GALLO, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘IHAWAI‘I INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL
1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

LEO ASUNCION
OFFICE OF PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF
BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &TOURISMDAVID RODRIGUEZ
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONRESOLUTION 14-1
ENDORSING
THEOVERARCHINGGOALSANDJURISDICTIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REGIONAL BIOSECURITY FOR MICRONESIA AND
HAWAII
WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Defense (USDOD) has developed the Regional Biosecurity
Plan for Micronesia and Hawaii (RBP, formerly known as the Micronesian Biosecurity Plan) inanticipation of relocation of military personnel and operations from Okinawa, Japan toalternative locations in the Pacific; andWHEREAS, The anticipated increase in military transport in Micronesia and Hawaii isassociated with an elevated risk for the movement of invasive species; andWHEREAS, the RBP includes risk analyses for invasive species pathways associated withmilitary relocation and potential impacts on terrestrial, marine, and freshwater systems in thePacific; andWHEREAS, the RBP provides jurisdictional recommendations for minimizing these risks, aswell as suggested action items to address these recommendations; andWHEREAS, participants in the final RBP workshop at the University of Guam in May, 2014,
including representatives from the State of Hawaii, recommended endorsement by jurisdictional
governments of the RBP overarching goals and biosecurity recommendations for respective
jurisdictions; andWHEREAS, the participants in the final RBP workshop recognized five overarching goals of theRBP, including:
1. Ensuring that biosecurity legislation is in place for all jurisdictions
2. Development of sustainable and appropriate funding streams which may include costrecovery mechanisms
3. Improving engagement from all levels of society in regards to biosecurity and invasive
alien species (IAS)
4. Improving communication and cooperation throughout the region using a cohesive multitiered mechanism to include jurisdictional, national and region structures
5. Improving biosecurity for terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems within thejurisdictions and across the region; andWHEREAS, the jurisdictional recommendations for Hawaii include:
1. Pre-border/border Recommendations
a. Increase biosecurity surveillance measures and interception at both military andcommercial airports and harbors including all entry points and screening
checkpoints
b. Improve intra-state biosecurity and biosecurity addressing foreign arrivals at ports
other than the main air and sea ports
c. Improve biosecurity for the movement of vehicles, equipment
d. Improve mail biosecurity
e. Improve capacity to detect pests in wood packaging material
f. Improve capacity to regulate the importation of live organisms
g. Reduce risk associated with live traded species
h. Improve pre-border biosecurity
2. Post Border Recommendations
a. Improve early detection and rapid response capacityb. Increase management and control of established invasive species
c. Improve efforts to restore native ecosystems and species
3. Marine Systems Recommendations
a. Establish and enforce biofouling standards
b. Establish and enforce ballast water standardsc. Increase marine system protection from invasive species
4. Regional Partnership Recommendations
a. Support and improve regional coordination regarding biosecurity and IAS
b. Support regional agreements to limit the movement of known harmful species
c. Improve regional communication on invasive species and biosecurity issues andsupport of jurisdictional and regional efforts
d. Support the establishment of a regional invasive species coordination office. The
regional IAS coordination office would serve as a focal point, coordinating body,communication and information center, and training resource for biosecurity
activities throughout the region.
e. Support regional biosecurity and invasive species control efforts
f. Ensure that the RBP remains relevant by updating recommendation components
on a regular basis
5. General Biosecurity Recommendations
a. Identify knowledge gaps for existing IAS concernsb. Increase outreach and education on biosecurity and invasive species
c. Improve communications and ability to address biosecurity concerns between
USDOD and civilian government agencies
d. Improve agriculture biosecurity and food security
e. Address climate change linkages to invasive pests
f. Improve Statewide biosecurity and coordination
g. Improve laws and regulations
h. Evaluate social, cultural, economic, and ecological values that may be impacted
by invasions by non-native species; andWHEREAS, the recommendations provided by the RBP do not obligate the Hawaii Invasive
Species Council or the State of Hawaii to implement or fund specific actions, but may provide
guidance on future projects that seek to enhance biosecurity within Hawaii and between Hawaii
and Micronesia; andWHEREAS, the Hawaii Invasive Species Council shall coordinate and promote the State ofHawaii's position with respect to federal issues, per Chapter 194, Hawaii Revised Statutes; now,therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council endorses the overarching goals of
the RBP and the jurisdictional recommendations for Hawaii; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council encourages staff at its
member agencies to review and revise suggested action items associated with theserecommendations to guide future program development that strategically enhances biosecurity
both within Hawaii and between Hawaii and Micronesia; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to theGovernor of Hawaii, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the President of the University of Guam.
Adopted by the Hawaii Invasive Species Council on the following date: ___________

William J. Aila, Jr., Dept. of Land & Natural
Resources

Scott Enright, Dept. of Agriculture

Gary Gill, Dept. of HealthDavid Rodriguez, Dept. of Transportation

Leo Asuncion, Office of Planning, Dept. ofBusiness, Economic Development, and Tourism

Maria Gallo, Ph.D., University of Hawaii