Lawmakers nixed a proposal to move the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council out from under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Two biosecurity measures are making their way through the Legislature to bolster Hawaiʻi’s efforts to manage and keep out invasive species.
The bills are similar and cover several issues, but until last week there was a significant difference: The Senate version proposed moving HISC to the state Department of Agriculture.
However, the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems has amended Senate Bill 1100 to remove that provision.
Local conservation advocates and invasive species experts opposed moving HISC from the start.
“ Invasive species are alien species that negatively impact the environment, the economy or human health and, in Hawaiʻi, way of life. So, it's really a broad range,” Big Island Invasive Species Committee Program Manager Franny Brewer said in testimony.
“Invasive species are not just agriculture. Agriculture is one sector of the economy that could be impacted by invasive species, but it's much broader than that. The purpose of the council was really to bring together all the different bodies in the state that have a role, such as the Department of Health, Department of Transportation, the University (of Hawai’i).”
The DOA is the lead agency on biosecurity but, at the same time, its focus is on promoting local agriculture. At times, the focuses on managing pests and fostering agriculture have conflicted, so opponents worry an agency like HISC would be less effective under the department.
The council, while administered by the DLNR, does have some autonomy and is represented by several agencies, including the Agriculture Department.
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Consumer Protection Commerce passed the Senate measure forward but replaced its language with the House version, House Bill 427, which among the many changes, would rename the Department of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
