What Are the Iscs?

ISCs Invasive Species Committees of Hawai‘i What are the ISCs? Successes Challenges Island Overviews Education & Outreach Where the ISCs work Preserving Hawaiian Culture The Power of Partnerships Why Invasive Species Matter Funding Outlook 2015 The ISCs are projects of the University of Hawaiʽi's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit What are the Invasive Species Committees? awaiʻi's Invasive Species None of the ISCs has corporate or non- Committees operate on profit status. The "business side" of H the ISCs (accounting, audits, payroll, five islands, targeting invasive workmen’s compensation, and grant species on a landscape level. management) is primarily managed by the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU), an applied-research unit of the University The ISCs were created to facilitate and of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The ISCs are entirely streamline invasive species control work funded by grants and donations. that existing state and federal agencies had difficulties addressing. The ISCs are The hired manager and staff of each ISC informal, inter-agency partnerships working develop action plans and carry out all to identify and eradicate some of the most survey and control work. Each ISC has a threatening incipient pests. The formation robust outreach program to educate and of these partnerships began on Maui in engage the public. Species targeted for 1991 directed toward controlling Miconia control are both ecological and incipient calvescens, a highly invasive melastome tree agricultural pests and include plants, from Central and South America that had vertebrates, insects and pathogens. ISC devastated Tahiti's forests and threatened to work is scientifically grounded, "data- do the same if left unchallenged in Hawaiʻi. driven", and uses geospatial information to Personnel involved on Maui were acutely adapt management strategies for the most aware that several other species required cost-effective approach. similar attention and in December 1999 they The ISCs: Island-based, scientifically expanded their efforts toward eradication grounded, and priority focused. of a wider diversity of pests thought to be incipient. Similar efforts were soon Working to protect Hawaiʻi Nei from adopted on other islands. Each island-based invasive species. partnership was referred to as an "Invasive Species Committee" - Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee (or KISC), Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC), MISC, MoMISC, Rapid Response & BIISC. Since 2001, ISCs have operated on Early Detection five of the main, non-privately held Hawaiian Funding Islands, targeting invasive species on a Partnerships landscape level. MISC also worked on Lānaʻi until land ownership changed in 2012. The ISC structure consists of a committee of interested parties, primarily natural resource managers and scientists from federal, state and county agencies, and from private organizations, landowners, or business associations. Committee members help set priorities and provide policy guidance. Landholders Community Education Photo: Mike Neal 2015 Invasive Species Committees of Hawaiʻi 1 Successes Key Challenges Oftentimes, the biggest challenges help motivate Collectively, the ISCs have aerially surveyed over the Invasive Species Committees to better utilize limited resources and devise creative solutions to acres, ground surveyed over acres accomplish their missions. and treated over plants statewide during Difficult terrain, inclement weather, and hard-to-control the last . species are par for the course. New pest introductions occur continuously, adding complexity and stretching the capacity of the responders. Key challenges include: • Repeat introductions of target species via inter- Successes island shipments In the last year, new On Molokai, MoMISC served as the island's invasions made headlines rapid-response center for agricultural pests • Difficulty detecting cryptic in local news and sparked by receiving public reports, collecting species in dense and concern in Hawaiʻi. Little voucher specimens and working with state hazardous vegetation fire ants were discovered on and federal experts to identify new problem • Long-term commitments for species. MoMISC has succeeded in keeping Oʻahu and Maui, having moved inter-island base yard and office space on hapuʻu logs. Palm-destroying coconut coqui frogs, little fire ants and miconia from rhinoceros beetles were detected on Oʻahu. becoming established on the island. • Recalcitrant landowners who Because the ISCs have conducted little Collectively, the ISCs surveyed more than won't allow control of target fire ant surveys for more than a decade, 103,360 acres, by air and more than species they were able to quickly respond to new 41,700 acres by ground. Crews removed • Lack of adequate or stable incursions. OISC trained city and county over 168,000 plants from Hawaiʻi's forests, funding to ensure that years staff on survey protocols. MISC surveys urban areas, parks, wildland and ranch lands. of control efforts won't be found three new LFA infestations on Maui; Priority targets included miconia, albizia, lost with the next economic staff worked closely with Hawaiʻi Ant Lab fountain grass, pampas grass, fireweed, downturn. and Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture to Australian tree ferns, and a host of other tackle the state's largest wildland infestation plant, vertebrate and invertebrate species. The ISCs work with local, outside of Hawaii Island. KISC continued to The ISCs target most priority species for national and international assist with control efforts on a vertical cliff island-wide eradication. researchers who are developing hallenges on Kauaʻi's north shore. On Oʻahu, OISC The ISCs educate and inform the public about new control technologies, participated in multi-agency responses to the invasive species threats. Staff interacted with looking for effective biocontrol fire ant and beetle. more than 256,800 community members at agents, and exploring In response to the devastating windfall of 550 events. The ISCs created and shared innovative detection methods to help address some of Hawaiʻi's albizia trees after Hurricane Iselle, BIISC high-impact outreach materials about invasive C initiated a pilot program to explore cost- species, using print, radio and broadcast most pressing invasive species effective ways to remove this hazardous tree media, including a half- problems. In many cases, along roadsides. BIISC staff also vetted all hour documentary about significant increases in funding are needed for new axis deer reports on Hawaiʻi Island. little fire ants. large-scale implementation. 2 Invasive Species Committees of Hawaiʻi 2015 2015 Invasive Species Committees of Hawaiʻi 3 Hawaiʻi Island BIISC kicked off 2014, a year of growth, with a new website and ʻuluhe logo. Like the native ʻuluhe fern, BIISC is tough and plays an important role in maintaining H awai i healthy forests. Both stop invasive plants ʻ at the forest edge and almost anywhere you go on the Big Island, you'll find them doing their job. BIISC sought and obtained significant new private and federal funding to increase I sland staff and training capacity for BIISC and partner agencies. New projects included: the Plant Pono Nursery Endorsement Program, which rewards local growers who stop importing invasive plants and effectively manage invasive pests; working with the Thirty Meter Telescope to limit the risk of importing new invasive species during on- site construction; and surveying 200 miles of roads for a private landowner. Following Hurricane Iselle, BIISC coordinated an albizia task force, bringing stakeholders together to advance cost effective albizia management solutions. about invasive pests at 32 community events and volunteer training days. Staff Building upon 18 years of experience, used TV news stories, radio interviews, BIISC's field team mapped invasive and newspaper articles to explain impacts species and maintenance issues along and describe management strategies for 233 miles of state highway and removed invasive species. 46,632 invasive plants from over 2,000 acres of natural area. These efforts BIISC continued to work from summit to brought two target species down to shore, removing the highest-risk invasive single-digit populations this year. species from natural area reserves, pastures, roadsides, and backyards, serving On the Big Island, connection to the land is the The BIISC axis deer team surveyed the people and communities of the Big 157,000 acres, vetted deer reports, foundation of the economy, recreation, and way of life. Island. assisted DLNR with new threats on public Each person has a stake in invasive species management. lands, and trained - state partners to use cutting-edge BIISC mapped invasive species and maintenance technology. BIISC connected with issues along of state highway more than 6,200 island residents Photos (this page and right): Joshua McCullough 2015 Invasive Species Committees of Hawaiʻi 5 Maui From a small crew hired in 1999, MISC 3 invertebrate targets). has grown to include three field crews, an early detection team and an outreach MISC has eradicated 12 of 18 known and education program. During FY15, coqui frog populations, but the frogs a u i have spread down a 3.5-mile stretch M MISC will employ 30 full or part-time staff (26 FTE). The MISC-produced video, MISC tackled 23 different plant species. Stopping the spread of Invasion: Little Fire Ants in Hawaiʻi miconia into forested watersheds had more than online views remains a top priority. Aerial strategies use helicopters to target individual

Load more