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Aloha e Lester Michael,
Council Resolution 603-26,
This resolution will be heard on July 22, at 9 a.m.
To: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov
Subject: Testimony on Res. 603-26
Aloha e Chair Kagiwada, Vice Chair Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder, and members of the
Hawaiʻi County Council Committee on Governmental Relations and External
Affairs,
My name is ______ and I am writing in STRONG SUPPORT of Resolution
603-26, urging the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to take
seriously the interim “emergency” coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) rules for
West Hawaiʻi, adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (BAB) in
March.
The CRB situation on Hawaiʻi Island is dire. With CRB detections in a region
that now stretches from Kīholo to Keauhou, we must do everything we can to
stop or slow its spread - before it is too late. Unfortunately, as outlined in this
resolution, the need for much more timely action by DAB has been and
continues to be a critical gap in this all-hands-on-deck effort.
DAB’s months-long delays in advancing regulations to mitigate high-risk
vectors, such as businesses selling potted plants and other CRB host
material, has contributed significantly to the current crisis. As this resolution
notes, it was only through the initiative of local nonprofits and a groundswell of
public support that the current CRB interim rules were put before and adopted
by the BAB.
Despite their adoption in March, a subsequent months-long delay in the
implementation of these rules is leaving the entire island - and our neighbor
islands as well - at daily risk of CRB introductions. While a handful of
compliance agreements have been issued, there is still no designated DAB
point-of-contact to facilitate continued implementation, much more community
awareness is still needed, and whether and how any necessary enforcement
will be carried out is unclear.
To be clear, the stakes are extremely high, and the threat is imminent. While
the drier conditions in West Hawaiʻi still give us a chance to contain this
devastating pest, should breeding populations of CRB be established in
places like Hilo, Puna, or anywhere else with high levels of vegetation,
containment and eradication may quickly become impossible. The meaningful
implementation and enforcement of DAB’s interim rules will give us the best
chance at preventing such an outcome.
Please help us avoid the tragic consequences now unfolding on Oʻahu and
Kauaʻi, where CRB has become established after years of DAB
inaction. Please pass this resolution and its common sense, extremely
reasonable call for DAB to treat our CRB situation as the emergency it is: by
designating a dedicated staff point of contact for the rules, raising public
awareness of their requirements, and enforcing their provisions as
necessary.
Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.
Lester M. Klungness
Lester M. Klungness, Dist. 5 Chair
State Central Committee at large Rep.
P.O. box 364
18-4133 Komo St.
Mountain View Hawaii 96771
Hm phone 808-968-6789
IPhone 808-895-3075
eMail: lmklungness@gmail.com
Website www.LesterFisher.com
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