Big changes could be coming to how the state prevents or removes invasive pests — but it could likely be an expensive effort.
Senate Bill 3237 and its companion measure, House Bill 2758, would primarily create a plant nursery license, designate dozens of pest species for eradication, add rules for imported goods and give the state Department of Agriculture more power to stop the movement of infested goods.
The goal is to improve the state’s ability to control and eliminate invasive pests like coconut rhinoceros beetles, little fire ants and coqui frogs.
SB 3237 notes the urgency of controlling invasive species, saying they “collectively present one of the single greatest threats to Hawaiʻi's economy and natural environment, its native species, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaiʻi's people.”
The measures would primarily affect the way the DOA operates, requiring a sizable investment from the state — about $120 million just to get started.
“It is going to require a lot more staff, it is going to require facilities as well, and that is what is included in that $120 million — it's the physical building, the things, and the people needed to do this work,” Dexter Kishida, the deputy to the DOA chair, said at a recent hearing.
The department said the proposed nursery licensing program alone would require a new branch and up to 100 staff to carry out pest inspections.
Plant nurseries have become a subject of scrutiny in Hawaiʻi after DOA Chair Sharon Hurd said that some “bad actors” were knowingly selling host material that contained little fire ants, which are found on Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Lānaʻi and are described as the world’s worst pests.
SB 3237 would also allow the state Board of Agriculture to designate a pest-infested area to stop the movement of the pest or host material, which the department has been attempting to do on its own.
The bill would also make it illegal to move infested material between islands — and even within an island.
The DOA is also asking that its Plant Pest Control Branch be upgraded to its own division within the department. It described more than 200 staff members that would be housed under the proposed division.
The agricultural department says that it’ll also need $30 million annually for staffing, facilities and operating costs.
The bill notes that the department “has limited staff and resources, and has not been able to update its administrative rules to adapt to new invasive pests and control methods.”
The DOA itself has said that it is understaffed, and department leaders have noted that its current inspectors aren’t able to check every parcel that comes into the state and moves between the islands.
The department has said that the number of inspectors it has hasn’t changed much in years, but the number of parcels coming into the state has grown significantly.
“We need to address pre-entry and protect our borders, and if it slips through then let's deal with it. Let’s try to eradicate and ultimately control if we have to. … The Department of Agriculture is the tip of the spear for biosecurity,” Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, told lawmakers.
SB 3237 wants to make various changes regarding goods imported from out-of-state or between islands. The changes include banning the import of infested material and giving inspectors the authority to inspect people, cargo and luggage entering an airport, warehouse or port.
The farm bureau and other groups, including the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species and the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, testified in support of the bill.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment voted to support SB 3237, but still has to be heard by the Senate’s Ways and Means and Judiciary committees.
