Active response updates

• Little Fire Ant (LFA): 
  • A separate update was recently released from the Hawaii Ant Lab: 
    • 2018 HAL Update
    • In the past year, the Hawai‘i Ant Lab staff are responsible for eradication efforts on Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, and have been working closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and the Invasive Species Committees in each county. The LFA population in Kahiliwai, Kauai is currently below detectable levels with the last detection occurring in January 2017. Continued area-wide monitoring is recommended until there have been zero LFA positive detections for a minimum of 3 years. Even after this time, annual surveys should be conducted when resources permit. On Oahu, early detection efforts continue via nursery surveys. Treatments are conducted as the need arises. Monitoring and treatments continue in Waimanalo where an occasional positive sample is detected. On Maui, the battle continues with several existing infestations being treated at a six week interval. HAL has been teaming up with MISC to combat these unique infestations in resort areas, farms, and dense jungle with waterways. There have also been a couple new infestations that have popped up in 2017 which HAL and MISC are collaborating on. (For more information, please click the link above.)
• Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB):
  • The image below depicts a succession of maps of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) infestation, over time, in the Pearl Harbor region of the island of Oahu.  The data observed in these maps come from CRB detected in traps on Oahu between January 2014 and February 2018.  Map “A” depicts CRB detections over a 3+ year time-period and maps “B” through “E” depict a single year of trap detections.  The current persistent CRB population is found in less than five square miles of land on Oahu, and previously included an isolated population in Nanakuli.  Near the Honolulu International Airport, an established breeding site was identified in 2014, and successive breeding sites harbored hundreds of CRB larvae which were removed.  Green-waste suitable for harboring CRB in the area was destroyed and the formation of a green-waste management protocol began. Between 2016 and present, CRB detections decreased significantly where green-waste protocols were first enacted, close to Honolulu International Airport.  More recently, CRB detections increased in the northern part of the Pearl Harbor area.  A breeding site was uncovered 2016 on the Pearl City Peninsula. Green-waste and other suitable breeding materials in that area continues to be surveyed, mitigated and destroyed. Detections in Nanakuli ceased in October 2016.  The CRB program would like to thank all collaborators in the aiding in trap servicing, breeding site detections and green-waste management protocols.
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• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD):
  • ROD Newsletter:  To view the current issue of the newsletter click the link as follows: http://mailchi.mp/e1ed2686c31b/rapid-hia-death-newsletter
    • To opt-in to receive future newsletters please click on link here: http://eepurl.com/cY7z0j
  • ROD Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RapidOhiaDeath/ 
  • Research Update: 
    • The disease also is now island-wide on Hawaii` Island as of September 2017, when it was detected on a private ranch in North Kohala. It has not spread to any other islands in the state yet, but researchers are worried it could potentially be carried by wind to Maui.
  • Survey Update:
    • ROD is still confined to Hawai`i Island and found nowhere else in the State. 
  • The Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Strategic Response Plan is available at www.rapidohiadeath.org

• Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)
  • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.
• Division Of Forestry And Wildlife (DOFAW)
  • DOFAW, in partnership with Island Conservation, has been increasing the amount of monitoring devices on Lehua islet for any remaining rodents after a 2017 attempt to remove all rats from the island. Motion cameras captured images of what appear to be two rodents in fall 2017, but the subsequent increase in monitoring via tracking tunnels, cameras, live traps, and sticky traps have to date shown no sign of rat activity. The partners will continue to increase monitoring capacity over the coming months.
• Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC)
  • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.

• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD)
  • ROD Reminder: Anyone on ROD-free islands (other than Hawai`i Island) with suspect trees should call their local Invasive Species Committee (see links below under University of Hawaii's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit) so that any samples go through HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) and not through the regular post – More information can be found at www.rapidohiadeath.org.

• Mamalu Poepoe (Sphere of Protection) Project - Mamalu Poepoe is a project funded by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) for a period of 5 years. The program is being coordinated through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) and aims at increasing surveillance of invasive species at six airport facilities on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii. The program targets Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), Africanized honeybees (AHB), ants and mosquitoes.
• The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is the lead agency for the work on ants, CRB and AHB and the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is the lead agency for the work on mosquitoes. Mamalu Poepoe is partnering with the Invasive Species Committees (ISC’s) and the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) to conduct the monitoring activities. 

• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)
  • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.
• Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU)
  • Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)
    • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.
  • Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA)
    • The HPWRA promotes responsible and informed planting choices by providing an objective, science-based and accurate method of assessing the invasive potential of plants being imported into and/or planted within the Hawaiian Islands. Brief summaries of and links to weed risk assessments are available on UH CTAHR’s Hawaii Forestry and Agroforestry Trees website, which provides information on the most commonly planted trees in Hawaii.
  • Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC)
    • 2017 was a busy year for BIISC crews working on target plant species. Over 7,100 acres were surveyed for targets, with more than 62,000 individual plants controlled! Some areas required intense removal, like the nearly 3,600 photinia plants controlled in just 60 acres, while for other species the work was in the hunting: to eradicate Dahoon Holly, crews surveyed 133 acres to find 137 elusive individuals. Hundreds of additional acres were surveyed for pests like little fire ants, axis deer, and rabbits. As BIISC teams moved into 2018, they weren't slowing down, either!  Seven new staff members joined the team to launch the next phase of the albizia mitigation plan. In partnership with HDOT, the County, and local community organizations, BIISCuits have begun the work of controlling potentially dangerous albizia along miles of high priority roads on the Big Island.  
  • Kaua`i Invasive Species Committee (KISC)
    • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.
  • O`ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) 
    • On January 10^th, OISC field crew found a 12m mature Miconia calvescens tree in the Mānoa Watershed, along the border of the ground survey area and the area mapped as too steep for ground surveys. The tree had a mat of 210 immature plants below it, the majority of which were under 1m in height (140 of those under 30cm, and 66 were between 30cm - 1m in height). The crew removed and disposed of 156 fruiting panicles and treated the stump. Before disposal, ripe fruits were collected and sent in for a nutrient analysis. The researchers from the VINE project said that if miconia and clidemia have a similar nutrient profile, we could use their research results for dispersal of clidemia for miconia dispersal ranges. This will provide information about how long miconia seeds take to travel through a bird's digestive system...helping us narrow down just how far from a mature miconia plant we need to survey.
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    • A Chromolaena odorata was reported to us by a member of the public in Mākaha Valley in December. The crew did an aerial survey and will do ground surveys in March.
    • OISC has a new field supervisor, Nate Dube. Welcome Nate!
• For more information about OISC targets, visit: www.oahuisc.org.
  • Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
    • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.
  • Molokai-Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC)
    • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.

• HISC support staff are tracking bills relating to biosecurity and invasive species in the State legislative session. Heading into crossover this week, there are approximately 10 bills that would either provide new appropriations for invasive species work (e.g., rat lungworm research, Hawaii Ant Lab capacity, rose-ringed parakeet research, and biocontrol laboratory development) or new policies (private property access for species control, restructuring the HISC as an attached agency called the Invasive Species Authority). Anyone interested in tracking invasive species bills can contact Joshua.P.Atwood@hawaii.gov for more information.
• The HISC Brownbag series continues! Since the last newsletter, HISC hosted the following presentation:
  • On January 18th, Christy Martin, Public Information Officer for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) presented HISC Brownbag #15: Fifteen Years Tracking Public Awareness and Attitudes Towards Invasive Species.
• The inaugural Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Month (HISAM) Governor's Proclamation and Award Ceremony was held on Friday, February 9 in Governor David Ige's chambers for the following categories:
  • Business Leader: Pulama Lanai Natural Resource Program
    Recognizes an individual in the private sector or a business that has demonstrated leadership in their role of protecting Hawaii from invasive species: https://goo.gl/forms/I07b8kfB3Q2SVr4H3
  • Community Hero: Bob and Pam Warren (Kauai)
    Recognizes a community member or community-based group that has been a shining example of dedication to the prevention and/or management of invasive species: https://goo.gl/forms/7CvBQEEgBkXWS3Wb2
    • An article on Bob and Pam's efforts to control an infestation of the invasive aquatic fern, Salvinia molesta, ran in the Garden Isle newspaper website: http://www.thegardenisland.com/2018/03/04/lifestyles/pam-and-bob-warren-are-on-a-mission-to-save-the-river/ 
  • Greatest Hit: Tyler Bogardus (Oahu Army Natural Resources Management Program)
    Recognizes the individual, organization, or agency responsible for one of the major invasive species highlights of 2015 in the areas of research, prevention, control, and/or public outreach: https://goo.gl/forms/DwVAghsuPf6nTmYz1
    • An article on Tyler's efforts to control rats on U.S. Army lands was featured in the Hawaii Army Weekly newspaper: http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/2018/02/22/state-recognizes-army-for-its-efforts/
  • In addition, the following were recognized for their efforts in 2017:
    • Island MVP selection from each ISC:
      • Kauai MVP: Kelsey Brock (KISC)
      • Oahu MVP: Honolulu Board of Water Supply
      • Maui Nui MVP: Butch Haase (Molokai Land Trust)
      • Hawaii Island MVP: Franny Brewer (BIISC)
• The HISC Facebook page now has 769 followers. Like & Follow HISC on Facebook to receive updates from HISC news, posts from our website, and invasives-related posts from our constituent agencies and partners.
• Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC)
  • No update at this time, visit the link above for general information.

Upcoming events

• HISC Brownbag: Stay Tuned for the next Brownbag presentation and see past presentations here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/category/brownbag/