HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-03-09 Letter to Mike Gabbard and Russell E. Ruderman HB 1854, HD1 Relating to Little Fire Ants
County of Hawai‘i
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Roy Takemoto
Managing Director
Harry Kim
Mayor
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
March 9, 2020
Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair
Senator Russell E. Ruderman, Vice Chair
Committee on Agriculture and Environment
Dear Chair Gabbard, Vice Chair Ruderman, and Committee Members:
RE: HB 1854, HD1 Relating to Little Fire Ants
The little fire ant (LFA), to those who have experienced it, is a horrific species. It
causes great pain in humans and has been reported to cause blindness in pets and
horses. It has proliferated so widely that some have given up on eradication, and may
even be ready to throw in the towel on control efforts. That is not acceptable. We must
fight back, and that is why I appreciate the opportunity to testify on HB 1854, HD1.
I do not have the expertise to judge the most effective way to treat this menace,
but it seems reasonable to have the DOA, in conjunction with the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab and
private sector, working together to identify best practices, and making those best
practices known to a wide audience.
More broadly, whether you pass this bill or not, I ask that you please provide as
much funding for an anti-LFA initiative as you can justify in your budget for the coming
fiscal year. In that way, government efforts to control, and even eliminate, LFA from
Hawaiʻi can be maximized. The threat is great and warrants your much-appreciated
attention.
Respectfully Submitted,
Harry Kim
MAYOR