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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0220.004 2008-2010 CC vvi rv1, 2 20 P' Murashige, Laura IZES. From: Marjorie Ziegler [mz@conservehi.org] Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 1:32 PM _ To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: Reso 80-09 Strawberry Guava (CCH Testimony for PW Cq{~(nitt amejtir19 uesday, 4/21/09 2:30 pm) 2009 PR CU !~i'I i f~ Attachments: reso 80-09 testimony.pdf; final SG low res.pdf COUNT~ Id LJ reso 80-09 nnal SG low res.pdf estimony.pdf (186.. (3 MB) CCH testimony for PWIR Committee meeting Tuesday, 4/21/09 2:30 pm) and Call to Action attachment to our testimony are attached here. Thank you! Marjorie Ziegler Executive Director Conservation Council for Hawai(Ei P.O. Box 2923 Honolulu, Hawai(Ei 96802 808 593-0255 phone, fax mz@conservehi.org www.conservehi.org Office: 250 Ward Avenue Suite 212 Honolulu, Hawai'i96814 Live simply so that others may simply live! Comm. No. 4 Ref. To: F'IA 11Q 1 Ref. Date APR 21 2009 Conservation Council for Hawaii April 21, 2009 Hawai'i County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 Via Email: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Testimony in Opposition to Resolution 80-09 PWIR Committee Hearing: April 21, 2009 2:30 pm Members of the Hawai'i County Council, Aloha. The Conservation Council for Hawai'i strongly opposes Resolution 80-09 because we need all the tools available to save our native Hawaiian forests for future generations. Biocontrol of invasive species - if it is done carefully and safely - is an important tool we need to protect our natural and cultural resources. Invasive species, such as strawberry guava, are one of the most serious threats to our watersheds, water supply, water quality, unique Hawaiian plants and animals, agricultural crops and exports, food security, recreation, public access, and use of mauka lands. It is unfair to allow strawberry guava to take over native Hawaiian forests and trump the many benefits and uses of these lands. Fortunately for you as elected decision-makers, this is not an "either-or" situation, and you can be fair to all of your constituents. Some areas should be managed for native Hawaiian values and watersheds, and strawberry guava should be removed from these areas. Other areas, such as marginal forest, fenced game management areas for pigs, farms, and gardens could be managed for strawberry guava if desired. Biocontrol of strawberry guava will give Hawaiian forests a chance to survive so that future generations can enjoy them, and it will still leave more than enough strawberry guava for eating, making jelly, woodwork, and any other conceivable use well into the future. There will probably never be a shortage of strawberry guava in Hawaii. But we will lose our native Hawaiian forests, unique cultural plants and animals, and watersheds if we do not take serious action now to address the strawberry guava problem. Please do not repeat the coqui frog debacle where we knew about this pest, but county and state government waited too long, and now we are probably stuck with it forever, at least on the Big Island. Opponents of strawberry guava biocontrol continue to perpetuate many misconceptions about this proposal. On the following page, we provide our response to these myths. We are also transmitting our strawberry guava Call to Action. We hope this information is useful in your deliberations. Mahalo nui loa. Sincerely, Marjorie Ziegler Working Today for the Nature of Tomorrow! Telephone/Fax 808.593.0255 email: info@conservehi.org • web: www@conservehi.org P.0. Box 2923 • Honolulu, HI 96802.Office: 250 Ward Ave., Suite 212 • Honolulu, HI 96814 Hawai'i Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation President: Julie Leialoha * Vice-President: Nelson He * Secretary: Douglas Lamerson * Treasurer: Kim Ramos Directors: Maura O'Connor * Melora Purell * George Robertson * Hannah Springer Executive Director: Marjorie Ziegler * Membership Director: Beth McDermott Conservation Council for Hawaii Testimony Resolution 80-09 April 21, 2009 - Page 2 Biocontrol Myth Busters' • Hawai`i's failure with the mongoose shows that biological control is unreliable. The mongoose was introduced by a sugar planter in 1883 with no scientific testing or regulatory oversight. Today, we require rigorous testing. Since 1975, 51 biocontrol species (including natural enemies for clidemia, banana poka, and ivy gourd) have been introduced to Hawaii with no negative effects. A biocontrol for the wiliwili gall wasp is currently being tested. A mistake made over a century ago has long since been trumped by a decades long track record of success. • Tectococcus ovatus could target other wild plants or crops. In Brazil, T. ovatus has never been found on any agricultural crops, only strawberry guva and one other wild plant (which is not found in Hawai`i). Likewise, researchers in Hawaii tested T. ovatus on some 80 related native, commercial, and ornamental species. They confirmed that it only feeds on its host, strawberry guava. • T. ovatus will rob our community of a source of food and wood. T. ovatus will not kill strawberry guava, taint its fruit, or affect its wood. It will simply slow its fruit production and spread. People will still be able to pick fruit and gather the wood, as Brazilians continue to do in their forests where the trees are preyed upon by a far greater multitude of insects. Horticultural oils used to control other scale insects can be used to protect homegrown trees if necessary. • Populations of native birds and other animals that depend on strawberry guava will decline. Strawberry guava is one of the greatest threats to native Hawaiian forest birds. It displaces native plants that feed and shelter native birds, and invades their essential foraging and nesting habitat. Some non-native animals, such as birds and wild pigs, eat strawberry guava and spread this invasive species, but none is dependent on strawberry guava for its survival. • If we control strawberry guava manually or chemically, we will not need biocontrol. Strawberry guava infests hundreds of thousands of acres across our state. It produces billions of seeds annually and spreads at exponential pace - often into steep or remote terrain, making manual or chemical clearing dangerous and a temporary measure at best. After decades of effort, it has become clear that biocontrol, used alone or with other methods, is our best and most economical option. • Biocontrol of strawberry guava will clear large forested areas, causing erosion and encouraging other invasive plants to move in. T. ovatus will not kill strawberry guava, but impact stands of guava gradually, allowing more native species to grow back and helping native forests to regenerate. Dense stands of strawberry guava' are more likely to cause erosion, as they crowd out the understory plants that protect our soil, causing runoff and sedimentation of our streams and nearshore waters. • We should let strawberry guava grow because it could become valuable commercially as a biofuel. Strawberry guava has not been identified as a potential biofuel in any serious commercial proposal in Hawaii. The areas where we most want to control its growth would be difficult if not impossible to access for commercial purposes. Even with T. ovatus; there will be more than enough wood for any conceivable use well into the future. Prepared by the Conservation Council for Hawaii 2009. For the full text, map, and photos from our strawberry guava Call to Action, go to: http?/`vww.conservehi.or¢ (under Rokua Alert on Home Page). I-evelin? the Playin? field in d'awai'k native Forms 1110 (110H S CII.NI'ISI'S WITH THE U.S. FORESTSERVICE are preparing to release a Brazilian scale insect, Tectococcus ovatus, to help slow the spread of ` invasive strawberry guava (Psidiwn cattleiauum), also known as walawi, in Hawaii. Since its introduc- tion in 1825 as an ornamental plant, strawberry guava has invaded Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Lanai, and Hawaii, smothering our native forests, reducing the amount of water flowing to our aquifers, and spreading fruit flies to vulnerable crops. Photo by forest and Kim Starr There are no natural controls in Hawaii for strawberry guava. With conventional management 'forested Lands.' tools alone proving insufficient to contain it, strawber- afld - - ry guava has become one of the most serious threats to our quality of life in Hawaii, affecting countless POtental [ istfibutioh'of'Strawberry.Guava rare and endangered species, essential watersheds, Island of>Hawai'i the Native Hawaiian culture, our agricultural industry, Legend as well as public access for subsistence gathering M"P i 1 wueo re.aFO. and recreation. P wA lte bidyiiieva Can we continue to use strawberry guava while limiting the damage it is causing' Yes. Extensive tests conducted over 15 years in both Hawaii and srrawber- i ry guava's native habitat, Brazil, indicate that we can ' safely and economically slow the vigorous growth of dt ` 'S " strawberry guava with the help of one of its native parasites, T. ovatiJS, without causing harm to other species, or threatening our valuable food crops. !air. as ' o J'. •s tr r ~ t.~' ' .t . y 1, v t Miles, a 1510 20 ml Dale source: W K ' Forested Lands denied fmmHawe'u GAP Lsndcover Map: ~v ; I hep7/nbmp:hmiliedWPUWiedakYHIGAPI as poi table 2:10 - `In the Flnal Report: February 2006. ? 'pp a' . E 1 i~eX T r A, Mss 0ameec RaneWCanvass Potential bne-bubun of Stiawbamy Guava tPsidiurn cat0eianuml DNROAW.ol Ferest "VffldJIe' piovldae by Julia Dens) , US DA Forest Selvlda, Institute of r oen d ProaeNM: July M.200esr pacific Islands Forestry,July2006 " Per Strawberry guava is a threat to 90% of remaining forested lands statewide. Strawberry guava (dark green vegetation) taking over'ohi'a lehua and other native trees at Wao Kele 0 Puna. Photo by G. Asner Page 2 of 2 efforts to control this weed is an important component of an integrated management strategy. The Hawaii Conservation Alliance supports the responsible use of well-designed, rigorously tested, and appropriately reviewed biocontrol as a tool for invasive species management. HCA supports approval of the release of Tectococcus ovatus, which has undergone rigorous testing, as a tool to assist in the control of strawberry guava. Respectfully submitted, Deanna Spooner Executive Director Hawai'i Conservation Alliance Hawai'i Conservation Alliance Foundation 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 224 Honolulu, HI 96813 ph: 808-586-0916 fax: 808-586-0923 email: deanna.spooner@,)hawaii.edu www.hawaiiconservation.org www.hawaiiconservation.orgg/foundation 4/20/2009 Hawaii Conservation Alliance Leaders in Environmental Management, Research and Education ALLIANCE PARTNERS Testimony in OPPOSITION to Hawaii County Council Resolution # 80-09 DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF AQUATIC Requesting a Ban on the Release of Biolgoical Control Agents RESOURCES on the Island of Hawaii DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF FORESTRY & WILDLIFE KAMEHAMEHASCHOOLS The Hawaii Conservation Alliance (HCA) urges the Hawaii County Council to decline NOAA NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES to adopt resolution #80-09 banning the release of biocontrol agents on Hawaii Island. SERVICE The HCA is a cooperative partnership of 15 agencies, educational institutions, and non- NOAA NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES profit organizations that promotes effective, long-term management of Hawai`i's native PROGRAM ecosystems through collaborative research, training, and outreach among land NATIONAL PARK SERVICE managers, scientists, educators, and the general public. The partners of the Alliance THE NATURE CONSERVANCYHAWAI'I have a combined stewardship of more than 80% of Hawai`i's native terrestrial OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS ecosystems and 100% of its marine ecosystems. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE Properly designed biocontrol efforts provide important tools for the control of invasive U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE species and the restoration of Hawaii s native ecosystems. Although some past NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE biocontrol efforts have created additional environmental problems, the many examples U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE of successful biocontrol in Hawaii show that this is an important approach to ARMY GARRISON HAWAI'j NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM GRAM controlling go invasive alien species. .The use of a biological ag Y ent to slow down the sphread RESOURCES U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE of strawberry guava into our remaining native ohi`a forests is an immediate and critical ECOLOGICAL SERVICES need for the conservation of many native plants, trees, birds, and other animals that are U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE at-risk due to loss of habitat, introduction of alien species and diseases, and other NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX stressors. Rather than posing a threat to native ohi`a, biocontrol will help stem the U.S. GEOI-OGICALSURVEY tide of invasion that is overwhelming this species of such ecological and cultural BIOLOGICAL GICAL RESOURCES SOURCES DISCIPLINE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA importance. CENTER FOR CONSERVATION RESEARCH & TRAINING The introduced South American plant strawberry guava or waiaun (Psidium cattleianum) is one of the most aggressive and rapidly spreading invasive weeds in Hawaii. Strawberry HCA ST FF guava negatively affects our native biodiversity, agricultural productivity, water DEANNA SPOONER resources, and the traditional and contemporary uses and values these represent to the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SPOONER@HAWAII.EDU (BOB) 587-0061 people of Hawaii. Adding a biocontrol effort to existing mechanical and chemical MARI2A SILVA efforts to control this weed is an important component of an integrated management PROGRAM ASSISTANT SI strateagy' The Hawaii Conservation Alliance supports the responsible use of well- JENNIFER H. HO designed, rigorously tested, and appropriately reviewed biocontrol as a tool for invasive ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER species management. HCA supports approval of the release of Tectococcus ovatus, which .IHHo@HAWAII.EDU (808)956-7395 has undergone rigorous testing, as a tool to assist in the control of strawberry guava. Respectfully submitted, Deanna Spooner, Executive Director HAWAII CONSERVATION ALLIANCE, 1 151 PUNCHBOWL ST., RM. 224 HONOLULU, HI 96813, FAX: (808) 586-0923 EMAIL: HCASrAFF@HAWAII.EDU, WWW.HAWAIICONSERVATION.ORG