[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6381171,"mediaKeyId","2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c","parentId",2129012,"title","Lawmakers and agencies spar over Act 231 biosecurity funds and little fire ant contract","audioSeconds",1768,"startMs",1677000,"endMs",3445000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c&start=1677&end=3445","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c/thumbnail_1677000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6381171/Hawaii/Lawmakers-and-agencies-spar-over-Act-231-biosecurity-funds-and-little-fire-ant-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381171-b10c11720634f71bbbd5b519615b8794/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135341&Signature=DNbk6s-NtEF2A76udnS7VT1imTjKmF4Hz4NH-KqGDPzEVnBQm5i9Bwj5GLLE4ecf0xSWSY4yiK6VdeZKcRtQVwNUoD1~-psxolVQJ5g-MUikKUXOOd-XHjY50IBkIuDh50LY-83irfWMYRtcGRpISGqlRlX27aSUM82w5~l~0jpXJodINPnsORa0Gh0pogWbY6117UxKHB4co9geoxg5Oh-dCFjAKUFbY64M0TnjVXi0oXT3tLjZdzwH9Xvwh7mK4b8sdtjMgyJAP2ujP3Lh~2U~c55tcqsUCEy83pIvRMjX-ymvTrDrAP~W6kntmIviU8SDz1AWo9pypsVAF9LuXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems","date","2025-01-18T14:50:53Z","article","At a Jan. 17 joint information briefing convened by the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, Hawaii Department of Agriculture officials and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council described plans for expanded biosecurity spending, and lawmakers raised sharp questions about how Act 231 funds are being encumbered and used to address little fire ant infestations.

The issue matters because the state released a major pool of biosecurity funding under Act 231 and the executive budget sought an additional $4.25 million for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC); committee members said they are concerned that slow hiring, contract design, and procurement decisions could leave money unspent while pests spread.

Department of Agriculture Director Sharon Hurd and HISC program support Chelsea Arnott outlined how recent rule changes and new contracts are intended to strengthen prevention and response. Hurd said the department has authority under revised Hawaii Administrative Rules 4-70-2 to stop movement of coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) host material, effective Jan. 20. Hurd also told the committees that “65% of the funding has been obligated, 52% has been encumbered,” and that 44 positions authorized by Act 231 remain unfilled because job classifications and recruitment are still underway.

But legislators pressed the department over discrepancies between that accounting and information from the state comptroller. Senator Laura Keohokalole cited an email from the Department of Accounting and General Services showing $1.1 million encumbered to date and no expenditures, and asked whether the department might lapse most Act 231 funding on June 30 if encumbrances are not finalized. Hurd responded that program terms—“encumbered, obligated, expended”—are distinct and said contracts are in process with the comptroller’s office.

The meeting also focused on a controversial procurement to treat little fire ant. Hurd and Greg Takashima, pesticides program manager with HDOA, said the department awarded a contract to a structural pest-control company to treat residential properties: they identified a minimum of 580 Oahu residences and 290 Hawaii Island residences as contract targets and said an additional $400,000 was reserved for partnership work with nurseries and training. Hurd and Takashima said the department selected a licensed pest-control operator for liability, capacity and insurance reasons and because commercial operators can scale up quickly.

Representative Lisa Martin and other legislators pushed back, saying the contract excluded the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) from bidding and that HAL has technical expertise, community ties and lower-cost operations. “I have some real concerns that Terminix was the entity awarded,” Rep. Martin said, adding that HAL has trained private pest-control companies and that HAL’s field protocols are widely used. Chelsea Arnott described HAL’s role as an expert trainer and said HAL currently has limited staff on Oahu (approximately 1.5 equivalent staff on Oahu) and that HAL’s statewide program runs about $1.3 million a year for roughly 16 staff.

Hurd and other department staff said the contract’s scope was vetted by procurement and that the contract is routed through DAGS. The department acknowledged that one earlier RFP (for green-waste hauling) had to be reissued after a drafting error about loading costs; Hurd said that corrected solicitations will be published soon.

Committee members asked how residential treatment sites were prioritized. Hurd described a selection process that relies on reported detections, referrals and survey dots the department has collected; she said Terminix will be provided lists of target properties and that the state’s quarantine branch will work with contractors on deployment strategy. Some legislators urged a more explicit equity or needs-based prioritization (for example income, public-health risk, or potential to stop spread) rather than leaving selection to the contractor.

What’s next: Department of Agriculture officials said many contracts are in DAGS review and that they expect to have more encumbrances in hand within weeks; lawmakers said they will continue to press the department for a detailed, auditable accounting of encumbrances and for assurances that community experts such as the Hawaii Ant Lab are meaningfully involved in training and oversight.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","AGR/AEN Joint Info Briefing - Fri Jan 17, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST","oneSentenceSummary","At a Jan. 17 joint information briefing convened by the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, Hawaii Department of Agriculture officials and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council described plans for expanded biosecurity spending, and lawmakers raised sharp questions about how Act 231 funds are being encumbered and used to address little fire ant infestations.","taxTitle","House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25707,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6381161,"DLNR seeks funding for watershed protection, wildfire prevention and aquatic invasive response",3889,4776000,8665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c&start=4776&end=8665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c/thumbnail_4776000.jpg","/articles/6381161/Hawaii/DLNR-seeks-funding-for-watershed-protection-wildfire-prevention-and-aquatic-invasive-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381161-2306876972748edaf4f931eb19e720d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135341&Signature=kSAjcz0Y4nRlpIhbR1p9P7wHk0Pm1iP42jzy2GubsW9AbVxDDXdZTQyqyEgLXFt8ugUrVP8HoZ5F7zWRyXxkR1lJoyyURf-4mQlJQNCRZhMrokXKuqBB2fOSBuRbcYLMFP0GgtQv23hzxSEvth6ELPCEi7giuW-tFL6IaRdcbCaT-KWXZ8tqc6Foq28tHqUG9Ky5x8m4NaOih8xL9HdXUty93XfntD45BBuAW82qVIIWz62rByiJy~Uht5xI9WB8LeazEKpQ-YkW4qO03TMy6nGYaRADWgcBFf4RX2gRUkC~Q5jIALSoTrGPw6P6g2DNte1Rx-ht36Ppy1OLD8LDug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Land and Natural Resources told the Jan. 17 joint House–Senate biosecurity briefing that protecting priority watershed forest, managing wildfire fuels and building aquatic invasive‑species inspection capacity are top priorities that require new recurring and capital funding.

The agency outlined a portfolio of work that connects terrestrial restoration, wildfire risk reduction and marine biosecurity: watershed fencing and ungulate removal reduce spread of pathogens such as rapid ʻŌhiʻa death (ROD), fuels management reduces wildfire risk and post‑fire invasive grasses, and aquatic inspections at ports and coasts limit introductions such as invasive soft corals and anemones.

Ryan Kanakaole, first deputy for DLNR, said the state has committed to protecting 30% of priority watershed by 2030 and that 22% of that goal is currently protected. DLNR requested $5 million per year in capital improvement project (CIP) funding for fiscal 2026 and 2027 to build fences and begin ungulate removal in priority watersheds; Kanakaole said prior legislative CIP dollars leveraged more than $80 million in non‑state matching funds since 2013.

DLNR also told committees it needs expanded staffing. The department said it is seeking 22 permanent positions approved by the legislature last session to augment forest management, fuels mitigation and emergency response capacity, and that its executive budget requested $4 million recurring for operations (the department said actual need is larger, about $7.45 million).

On marine biosecurity, Division of Aquatic Resources staff described rapid response work in coastal waters. DAR recounted 20 reports of newly introduced aquatic species in state waters since 2020 and said it removed nine of those with no subsequent detections. An invasive anemone (Majano) discovered in Kaneohe Bay in 2024 is a high concern because it can smother native coral; DAR staff said funding and rapid intervention are needed to prevent spread beyond the detection site.

DLNR officials also flagged a forthcoming federal rule under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act and said the state needs staff and inspection capacity to co‑enforce ballast and hull fouling controls expected by late 2026; the department warned that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has expanded regionally and could arrive via vessel discharges. Lizzie Monahan, a biologist with DAR’s aquatic invasive species team, said sterilization methods for ballast water are not fully effective against SCTLD and noted a recent report of SCTLD near the Panama Canal, increasing the risk of spread to Hawaii.

What’s next: DLNR asked lawmakers to fund the CIP request and the additional positions, and to support co‑enforcement planning for vessel discharge rules; the department said it will continue rapid response removals where new aquatic invasives are found and will expand watershed protection to meet the 2030 target.

","The Department of Land and Natural Resources told lawmakers it is expanding watershed fencing and fuels management, seeking CIP and recurring funding, and pressing for aquatic invasive-species inspection capacity tied to forthcoming federal vessel discharge rules.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6381166,"State and university outline coconut rhinoceros beetle response, research push for biocontrols",5974,1270000,7244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c&start=1270&end=7244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2129012-bfd97346f8816dfcc6736c4e8227581c/thumbnail_1270000.jpg","/articles/6381166/Hawaii/State-and-university-outline-coconut-rhinoceros-beetle-response-research-push-for-biocontrols","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381166-1b83ccaa4248158667ffc5360165c7e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135341&Signature=eTXm7MRkCb1o~AS6wRRv7Ct67zlG~09e-Cgbg9tWSfTkcfmWDJQ1~m1HTbNfMxA~toFWQ8hgXKa~~TPTOnwCwn1DjoZ8b-uENuJXt1vQhyLaV3a-kX9xFv0tMz~3J2PnpHzBpzUo~LSFqvLSjAVBFw-WWaL-o~cPYCZxxIDFWeUGTg-11NLnHfhQ99k~35F0rG68r6g-XAc2NU0~4IYT7KauqfgrI2qRUMTjD-Dbuq2S-aM5AIUYbwuV7DZfYdN7dq4n6eN567hKrCiVNTq5LREgum02WTYdNV5ZX2IkvJoPFaQ8~87dJKCSIjjNOke7F0qBkGZGWo6TIlsCns8Q6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is now part of the island conversation: University of Hawaii researchers and Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture officials told a Jan. 17 joint House–Senate biosecurity briefing that CRB has become widespread on some islands and that the best near-term strategy is a mix of containment, targeted treatments and accelerated research into biocontrols.

The update matters because CRB damages coconut and other palms, with potential economic and cultural impacts across the Pacific; speakers said eradication on Oahu has been unfeasible for several years and that national and international partners must help develop new tools.

Michael Melzer, an agricultural biosecurity researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), described a program that began after the beetle’s discovery in 2013 and said federal partners, especially USDA, have supplied the bulk of response funding. Melzer said Oahu is “dire” and island‑wide; Kauai is “following the same trend,” while Molokai and Lanai have no detections and Waikoloa on Hawaii Island remains a nascent detection where eradication may still be feasible.

Melzer said CTAHR’s work spans detection, chemical and cultural control methods, and applied research to support potential biocontrols. The program uses systemic tree injectors in some treatments; plant quarantine manager Jonathan Ho told committees that injectable systemic products used in injections include imidacloprid (applied via systems such as Arborjet and Imajet) and that treated coconuts are tagged with a dated “do not eat” quarantine label for one year.

CTAHR and state officials said eradication tools are limited and that biocontrol research is a priority. Melzer said USDA and other federal partners want a regional approach because CRB threatens many Pacific islands; CTAHR is seeking permits to expand contained laboratory work and is preparing foreign exploration for potential pathogens or parasitoids that could reduce beetle populations. Melzer said such work may proceed this year pending state and federal permitting and that foreign exploration and host‑range testing could begin within months; regulatory review would determine whether any agent could be released.

The presentation noted recent local successes: Chelsea Arnott of HISC recounted a rapid response in 2023 on Maui where an infested palm and 25 surrounding trees were removed, chipped, and fumigated the same day after a local tree trimmer reported larvae, and no further CRB detections on Maui have been reported in that response area.

What’s next: CTAHR and state partners said they will pursue expanded containment treatments, seek funding for biosecurity research facilities, and pursue foreign exploration and permitting for candidate biocontrol agents; lawmakers asked for timelines and requested periodic updates to committees.

","Researchers and state officials told lawmakers that coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is island‑wide on Oahu and not currently eradicable with available tools; the University of Hawaii’s CTAHR said it is pursuing applied research, injection treatments and foreign exploration for biocontrol agents.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers and agencies spar over Act 231 biosecurity funds and little fire ant contract

DLNR seeks funding for watershed protection, wildfire prevention and aquatic invasive response

State and university outline coconut rhinoceros beetle response, research push for biocontrols