Additional federal funding to combat Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death has strong support in Congress after a bill by Hawaii lawmakers unanimously passed the House of Representatives this week.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii, District 2) earlier this year introduced a measure that continues a partnership between the state and the U.S. secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to provide continued support to detect, prevent and recover from Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death, or ROD.
The upshot of this measure would ensure that partner organizations in Hawaii, such as the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, will continue to receive federal funding for their ROD prevention projects.
Franny Brewer, BIISC manager, said her organization’s annual budget for its ROD team typically is around $200,000, and estimated that “30-60%” of that number comes from federal sources that are allocated to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and trickle down to partner agencies.
That funding, Brewer said, will cover projects such as helicopter surveys that allow researchers to build maps of where affected trees are. After a rough scan from an aircraft, team members can determine where dead ‘ohi‘a trees are and collect samples to determine what happened to them.
“(ROD) presents an existential threat to Hawaii’s native forests that are a critical habitat for our endangered birds and other species. If we don’t act now, our native forests will not survive,” Tokuda said in a statement. “This bill would help in the fight against Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death by leveraging federal resources to support statewide efforts in mitigating Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death’s impact on Hawaii’s delicate ecosystems.”
Meanwhile, Brewer said Hawaii’s congressional delegation is seeking additional ROD funding, mentioning a pending bill by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono that seeks $20 million for the cause, and additional funding might be available for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for an atmospheric modeling project that could help researchers better understand how the disease spreads.
“It’s still out there,” Brewer said. “But there’s some really good research being done on the island right now.”
Email Mike Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
