A Hawaii congresswoman has drafted a bill urging federal agencies to take action to fight Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death in Hawaii.
Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death, or ROD, is an invasive fungal disease that has destroyed millions of ‘ohi‘a trees since it was first discovered in the state in 2010. The disease has been detected in all Hawaii counties, but it is most prevalent on the Big Island.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii, District 2) introduced on Monday the Continued Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death Response Act of 2025, a measure that calls for collaboration between the U.S. secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and State to address the disease.
Although the bill does not get into specific response actions, it states that federal agencies under those three secretaries — including the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — conduct research on the disease’s transmission vectors, work to manage ungulate species on federal, state and private lands, and fund efforts to prevent the disease’s spread and the restoration of Hawaii’s native forests.
“Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death has devastated Hawaii’s native forests and caused irreversible damage to the critical habitat for our endangered birds and other native species. We cannot afford to lose more of this natural and cultural resource,” said Tokuda in a statement, adding the bill “will give us the resources and tools needed to help combat the disease and preserve our fragile forest ecosystem for future generations.”
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who has introduced her own ROD response legislation in the past, supported Tokuda’s bill, saying in a statement: “‘Ohi‘a Lehua are crucial to Native Hawaiian culture, as well as the environment, playing a key role in protecting watersheds and conserving water. This legislation will require continued federal support to prevent the spread of this disease, identify ‘ohi‘a trees that are resistant to ROD, and propagate trees that are resistant to ROD to restore and preserve our native forests.”
James Friday, extension forester at the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, said any additional resources to help fight ROD will be more than welcomed.
“We have consistent funding, but it’s really only a fraction of what we need,” Friday told the Tribune-Herald. “Like anyone working to fight invasives in the state, we could use twice as much as what we’ve been getting.”
Friday said CTAHR will soon release a new strategic plan detailing how the fight against ROD could progress over the next few years.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, which Friday said will likely administer any funds awarded by Tokuda’s bill, declined to comment about the pending legislation.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
