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In 2003 a bill SB1505 was passed establishing the Hawaii Invasive Species Council. The bill passed into a statute in 2005; HISC duties are outlined in HRS 194-2. "The Hawaii Invasive Species Council was established for the special purpose of providing policy level direction, coordination, and planning among state departments, federal agencies, and international and local initiatives for the control and eradication of harmful invasive species infestations throughout the State and for preventing the introduction of other invasive species that may be potentially harmful. HRS 194-2 (a)" specific duties include:
- Write and implement a strategy to address the invasive species problem.
- Maintain overview and advise the governor and legislature about invasive species issues including budgets, spending, regulations, federal preemption 1, 2, fines and penalties.
- Identify and address gaps in current invasive species management efforts in the state.
In addition, each government department that forms the Hawaii Invasive Species Council has its own statutes and administrative rules that may dictate its role in the management of invasive species and protection of Hawaii's natural resources.
The ability to control invasive species on private property
HRS 194-5 allows government Departmental staff to enter private property (after giving notice) to control invasive species identified by the Council. The Council has adopted species listed under other authorities by its member agencies: Noxious Weeds, Prohibited Animals, Injurious Wildlife, except in the case of West Nile virus, which was added to the list of species at a meeting of the Council on March 31, 2004.
Background
"The legislature finds that the silent invasion of Hawaii by insects, disease-bearing organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy and natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of Hawaii's people. Invasive species already cause millions of dollars in crop losses, the extinction of native species, the destruction of native forests, and the spread of disease. Every day the media reports another serious case of an invasive species attacking Hawaii, whether it is the coqui frog, Salvinia molesta, miconia calvescens, or dengue fever.
Yet there are many more harmful species that threaten to invade Hawaii and wreak further damage. Even one new pest, such as the brown tree snake or the red imported fire ant, could forever change the character of the islands. Stopping the influx of new invasive species and containing their spread is essential to Hawaii's future well-being. Unwanted invasive species are entering Hawaii at an alarming rate--about two million times more rapidly than the natural rate. In 1993, the federal Office of Technology Assessment declared Hawaii's alien pest species problem as the worst in the nation [report available here]. Hawaii's evolutionary isolation from the continents and its modern role as the commercial hub of the Pacific make these islands particularly vulnerable to destruction by invasive species. Gaps in invasive species prevention systems and a lack of public awareness further add to this serious problem."
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