NEIL	  ABERCROMBIE	  Governor	  	
  SHAN	  TSUTSUI	  Lieutenant	  Governor	  	
  June	  4,	  2013	  	  SUBMITTAL	  	  Chairpersons	  and	  Members	  Hawaii	  Invasive	  Species	  Council	
  (HISC)	
  State	  of	  Hawaii	  	  SUBJECT:	  Requesting	  HISC	  resolutions	  regarding	
  state	  and	  federal	  invasive	  species	
  issues	  in	  Hawaii	  	  At	  a	  meeting	  of	  the	  HISC	  on	  January	  8,	  2013,	  a	  summary	  of	  state	  and	  federal	  invasive	  species	
  issues	  in	  Hawaii	  was	  presented	  to	  the	  Council	  by	  staff	  from	  the	  Coordinating	
  Group	  on	  Alien	  Pest	  Species	  (CGAPS).	  This	  summary	  identified	  a	  number	  of	  program	  and	
  policy	
  needs	  at	  both	  the	  state	  and	  federal	  levels	
  that,	  if	  addressed,	
  could	  support	  invasive	  species	  prevention	  nationwide	  and	  in	  Hawaii.	
  These	  areas	  include:	  1. Support	  for	  federal	  recognition	  of	  Hawaii’s	
  unique	  biosecurity	
  needs	  and	  coordination	  between	  federal	  and	
  state	  inspection	  agencies,	  including	  information	  sharing	  between	  federal	  and	
  state	  inspection	
  staff	  and	  the	  development	  of	  joint	  inspection	  facilities:	  Hawaii's	  ecological	  history	  as	  an	  isolated	
  island	
  chain	  has	  resulted	  in	  an	  environment	  distinct	  from	  that	  of	  other	  states.	
  While	  state	  and	  federal	
  lists	  of	  pests	  for	  quarantine	  differ,	  federal	  preemption	
  under	  the	  U.S.	
  Plant	  Protection	  Act	  of	  2000	  prevents	  the	  State	  from	  regulating	  in	  foreign	  and	  interstate	  commerce	
  pests	  that	  are	  not	  federally	  listed.	  
Further,	  current	  regulations	  do	  not	  allow	  for	  information	  sharing	  between	  federal	  and	
  state	  inspectors.	  	  2. Supporting	  federal	  recognition	  of	  pest	  inspections	  as	  a	  core	  airport	  function:	  Airports	  represent	  a	  primary	  vector	  for	  the	  movement	  of	  pests	  associated	  with	  air	  passengers,	  luggage,	  and	
  cargo.	  Federal	  recognition	  of	  pest	  inspections	
  would	
  better	
  allow	  for	  biosecurity	  measures	  to	  address	  this	  pathway	  for	  invasive	  species	  transport.	  
3. Supporting	  the	  reauthorization	  of	  the	  Brown	  Tree	
  Snake	  Control	  and	  Eradication	  Act	  of	  2004:	  The	  original	  authorization	  of	  the	  Brown	  Tree	
  Snake	  Control	  and	  Eradication	  Act	  of	  2004	  appropriated	
  funds	  to	  support	  detection,	  control,	  and	  research	  pertaining	  to	  the	  invasive	  brown	  tree	
  snake.	
  Brown	  tree	
  snake	  remains	  a	  high-­‐risk	  pest	  for	
  Hawaii	  and	
  other	  jurisdictions.	  Reauthorization	  of	  this	  act,	  with	  appropriations,	
  would	
  allow	  critical	  detection,	  control,	  and	  research	  activities	  to	  continue.	  
4. Supporting	  amendments	  to	  the	  list	  of	  injurious	  species	
  under	  the	  Lacey	  Act:	  The	  Lacey	  Act	  prohibits	  the	  import,	  export,	  transportation,	
  sale,	  receipt,	  acquisition,	  or	  purchase	  of	  species	
  listed	  as	  injurious	  wildlife.	  In	  	  	  Hawaii	  Invasive	  Species	  Council	  	  VOTING	  MEMBERS	  DLNR:	  William	  J	  Aila,	  Jr.	
  
DOA:	  Russell	  Kokubun	
  DOH:	  Loretta	
  Fuddy	  UH:	  MRC	  Greenwood	  DBEDT:	  Richard	  Lim	  DOT:	
  Glenn	  Okimoto	  	  PARTICIPANTS	  DEPARTMENTAL	
  DCCA:	  Keali`i	
  Lopez	
  DHHL:	  Alapaki	  Nahale-­‐a	
  DOD:	  Maj.	  Gen.	  Darryll	
  Wong	  SENATORS	  J.	
  Kalani	  English	  Clarence	  Nishihara	  Gilbert	  Kahele	  Ronald	
  Kouchi	  REPRESENTATIVES	
  Mele	  Carroll	  Mark	  Hashem	
  Derek	  Kawakami	  Clift	
  Tsuji	  COUNTIES	  Alan	  Arakawa	
  Kirk	  Caldwell	  Bernard	  Carvalho	  William	
  Kenoi	  FEDERAL	  U.S.	  Dept	  of	  the	  Interior	
  U.S.	  Dept	  of	  Defense	
  U.S.	  Dept	  of	  Agriculture	  	  

	  	  2010,	  the	  U.S.	  Fish	  and	  Wildlife	  Service	  recommended	  nine	  species	  of	  constrictor	  snakes	  to	  be	  added	  to	  this	
  list.	  Of	  the	  nine	  species,	
  Indian	  python,	  Northern	  African	  python,	  Southern	  African	  python,	  and	
  yellow	  anaconda	  were	  added	  as	  injurious	  wildlife.	  Reticulated	  python,	  boa	  constrictor,	  DeSchauensee’s	  anaconda,	
  green	  anaconda,	  and	  Beni	  anaconda	  were	  not	  added.	  As	  there	  are	  no	  native	
  snake	  species	  in	  Hawaii,	  and	  a	  number	  of	  these	  species	  have	  been	  recovered	  in	  Hawaii,	  continuing	  the	  listing	  process	  for	  injurious	  wildlife	  and	
  adding	
  these	  remaining	  five	  snake	  species	
  would	  enhance	  biosecurity	  for	
  Hawaii	  as	  well	  as	  other	  states.	  
	  The	  HISC	  is	  authorized	  by	  Chapter	  194,	
  Hawaii	  Revised	  Statutes,	  to	  coordinate	  and	  promote	  the	  State’s	  position	  with	  respect	  to	  federal	  issues.	  The	  Council	  is	  requested	  to	  review	  and	  vote	  on	  four	  draft	  resolutions	  included	  in	  this	  submittal,	  one	  for	  each	  of	  the	  aforementioned	
  state	  and	  federal	  issues.