Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council

Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council
Name	Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council
Formation	2000
Type	State agency advisory council
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Region served	State of Hawaiʻi
Leader title	Chair
Parent organization	Office of the Governor of Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council

The Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council is a state-level advisory body focused on coordinating invasive species prevention and control across the Hawaiian Islands. It works with executive offices, departments, and community stakeholders to address threats from introduced plants, animals, pathogens, and invertebrates affecting Hawaiʻi (island), Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, Lānaʻi and other islands. The Council liaises with agencies and institutions to align policy, funding, and operational action against established invaders and newly detected incursions.

Overview

The Council serves as a cross-agency coordinating mechanism among entities such as the Office of the Governor of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Health (Hawaii), and University of Hawaiʻi. It provides strategic guidance to programs including the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, Plant Pest Control Branch, Invasive Species Committees, and partnerships with federal bodies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Council integrates scientific input from institutions including the Bishop Museum, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, Hawai‘i Pacific University, and the Smithsonian Institution to inform biosecurity, surveillance, and rapid response planning.

History and Establishment

The Council was established following growing awareness of invasive threats exemplified by incidents involving species such as the Coqui frog, Miconia calvescens, and Brown Tree Snake concerns that affected islands across the Pacific. Its creation drew on precedents from regional initiatives including the Pacific Islands Forum biosecurity dialogues and recommendations from commissions like the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council Report processes and legislative actions by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. Early collaborations referenced federal models such as the National Invasive Species Council and built on state efforts led by governors including Ben Cayetano and Linda Lingle to strengthen interagency coordination and statutory authority.

Organization and Governance

The Council operates under the auspices of the Office of the Governor of Hawaiʻi and includes appointed representatives from state departments, county mayors (including officials from City and County of Honolulu and County of Hawaiʻi), and ex officio federal representatives from agencies like the United States Geological Survey. Governance follows strategic plans developed with contributions from research centers such as the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council Science Working Group and partnerships with conservation NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and Sierra Club (U.S.). The Council’s structure coordinates with county-level Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) on Maui County, Kauaʻi County, and Hawaiʻi County to operationalize surveillance, permitting, and eradication activities.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic work includes prevention protocols at points of entry such as Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Hilo International Airport, and commercial harbors managed by the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Initiatives address pests including Little Fire Ant, Coqui frog, Miconia, Feral pig, and marine invaders like Caulerpa taxifolia. The Council supports early detection rapid response (EDRR) systems, community-based biosecurity education with partners such as Hawaii Invasive Species Council Volunteer Network, and restoration projects led by Hui Mālama o Moʻomomi and Kamehameha Schools land stewardship programs. It also endorses technological approaches developed at labs including the Pacific Biosciences Research Center and collaborations with National Tropical Botanical Garden for invasive plant management and native species recovery.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams combine state appropriations authorized by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, federal grants from programs like the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and USFWS National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, and private philanthropy from entities such as the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate and philanthropic arms of organizations like Gates Foundation-affiliated initiatives when relevant. The Council leverages cost-sharing agreements with academic partners including the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and cooperative extension offices, and coordinates with regional consortia such as the Western Governors' Association and Pacific Islands Region Invasive Species Committee for cross-jurisdictional projects.

Impact and Controversies

The Council has influenced policy outcomes that shaped responses to invasions by species like Miconia calvescens and the Coqui frog, contributing to eradication campaigns and biosecurity rule changes affecting major economic sectors including tourism in Hawaiʻi and agriculture in Hawaiʻi. Its decisions have sometimes sparked debate with stakeholders including ranchers, ʻāina-based communities, and tourism operators over priorities such as aerial control of invasive plants, use of chemical controls, and biosecurity restrictions at ports. Controversies have involved disputes seen in proceedings before bodies like the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and public consultations influenced by NGOs such as Hawaiʻi Trails Alliance and community groups advocating for indigenous stewardship models exemplified by partnerships with Office of Hawaiian Affairs and cultural practitioners.

Category:Environment of Hawaii Category:Invasive species