Hawaii residents are urged to use the Pest Hotline to promptly report sightings of invasive pests such as snakes, unusually aggressive stinging ants, and illegal or unknown animals. Call 643-PEST (643-7378).
The Invasive Species Committees of Hawaii (ISCs) are island-based partnerships of government agencies, non-government organizations, and private businesses working to protect each island from the most threatening invasive pests. Each ISC partnership also has a paid staff and field crew to implement rapid response and control plans.
The ISCs formed on each island to address the need for rapid response and control work on new invasive pests that have the potential to severely impact the economy, ecosystem, watersheds, human health, and quality of life. A driving objective of the ISCs is to control the most threatening pests while populations are still relatively small and it is economically feasible to control or eliminate them.
The Invasive Species Committees of Hawaii include:
Statewide Invasive Species Committees join forces in Kokee
For the first time in their history, statewide Invasive Species Committees, also known as "The ISCs", gathered together on Kauai for a collaborative, four day service trip in one of Hawaii’s most treasured natural areas, Kokee State Park. Sixty-three ISC staff members started their trek up the mountain on September 9 with the goal of making a significant impact on the invasive species that threaten Kauai’s native ecosystems, where many endangered flora and fauna call home. [full press release (pdf)]