Active response updates

• Little Fire Ant (LFA): 
  • Spot the Ant, Stop the Ant Month - October, 2017 will be Spot the Ant, Stop the Ant Month in Hawaii.
    • Social media accounts have been set up on Facebook @StopTheAnt) and on Instagram (@stoptheant) to raise awareness and provide information on events, DIY ant survey test kits, and recommended treatment methods.
    • Radio PSAs are being planned for all counties via each Invasive Species Committee (ISC).
• Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB):
  • Researchers at the University of Hawaii (UH) have established a CRB colony in an insect containment lab that was renovated and equipped with HISC support.  This colony produces all life stages of CRB that are indistinguishable from those found in the field.  This constant, consistent source of specimens is essential for researchers to evaluate methods to control this invasive insect.  CRB is long-lived; it takes an average of 217 days for an egg to emerge as an adult in the UH colony.
  • UH researchers have been working to identify the temperature required to kill different CRB life stages for 1 hour and 24 hour exposures.  Not surprisingly, adult CRB and the large 3^rd instar larvae possess a higher thermal tolerance than eggs and early instars.  The temperatures identified by these experiments will help establish temperature thresholds for field treatment of breeding site material by methods such as in-vessel composting, steam treatment, or solarization.
• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD):
  • Ōhiʻa Love Fest –The event was held at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaiʻi on Sunday, August 27, 2017. The day was full of educational opportunities and was attended by around 2,000 people. To see all of the crafts, activities, performances and more please go to our Rapid Ōhiʻa Death Facebook page for more photos and videos.
  • Our first quarterly ROD newsletter has been released in August 2017. To view the current issue of the newsletter click the link as follows: http://mailchi.mp/e1ed2686c31b/rapid-hia-death-newsletter
    • To opt-in to receive future newsletters please click on link here: http://eepurl.com/cY7z0j
  • Our researchers have found that the two fungal species causing Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) symptoms act very differently within a tree. Ceratocystis species A spreads rapidly throughout an infected tree and is referred to as ʻōhiʻa wilt. Ceratocystis species B spreads slowly and creates dead tissue (necrosis) in a limited area around the infection point, referred to as a canker. These new species of Ceratocystis are in the process of being formally named and described.
  • Survey results released in May by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and partners have found that ROD is still only confirmed on Hawaiʻi Island and that the affected area has increased from 50,000 to 75,000 acres in the last few months.
    • Within Hawaiʻi Island there are still no confirmed cases of ROD in Kohala.
  • The Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Strategic Response Plan is available at www.rapidohiadeath.org

• Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)
• Division Of Forestry And Wildlife (DOFAW)
• Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC)

• Rapid Ohia Death (ROD)
• ROD Reminder: Anyone on ROD-free islands (other than Hawai`i Island) with suspect trees should call their local Invasive Species Committee (see links below under University of Hawaii's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit) so that any samples go through HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) and not through the regular post – More information can be found at www.rapidohiadeath.org.

• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)
• Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU)
  • Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA)
  • Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC)
    • BIISC's rapid ohia death team has been busy pursuing potential new ROD infestations in high-value and uninfected forests. Working with state and private partners, the BIISC team locates patches of dead ohia via helicopter flyover and then dispatches the on-the-ground team to the site to retrieve samples. The team then use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)  to identify individual dead and dying trees, even in dense canopy, where leaf color can be hard to determine from the ground. A "suitcase lab" allows for quick DNA tests to determine ROD infection on-site.  The team has collected samples from nearly every district on the island, and are working closely with the many agencies and organizations involved to stop the spread of ROD. 
  • Kaua`i Invasive Species Committee (KISC)
  • O`ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
    • It has been a busy summer for OISC field crews! During the months of June through August, crews removed a total of 2,577 invasive plants; and were able to survey 1,816 acres on the ground, 2,113 acres with aerial surveys, and 1,597 acres of roadside surveys. If you see suspect OISC targets, do not remove plants, but instead note the location, take a photo, and email report to oisc@hawaii.edu. For more information about OISC targets, visit: www.oahuisc.org.
    • OISC’s Outreach & Education Program is gearing up for the 2017-2018 school year and are scheduling school visits for invasive species presentations and the Ho‘ike little fire ant survey and mapping activity. O‘ahu teachers can schedule presentations by contacting OSIC at 808-266-7994 or email oisc@hawaii.edu. 
  • Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
  • Molokai-Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC)

• The HISC Brownbag series continues! We had a great presentation on August 24 from Sam Aruch; CEO of Natural Resource Data Solutions (NRDS) . He presented on a newly developed data collection system, which boasts an intuitive platform, allows for inter-organizational collaboration, and aims to simplify and standardize data collection statewide.  The next presentation topic will be a synopsis of the 2017 Island Invasives Conference. It will be presented by Rachel Neville; OISC manager and will be on September 21 at noon.
• The HISC's  Facebook page now has over 600 likes. Like HISC on Facebook to receive updates from HISC news, posts from our website, and invasives-related posts from our constituent agencies and partners.
• Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC)
  • The HISC FY18 Grant applications for interagency project funds deadline has passed and the Evaluation Committee of the HISC Resources Working Group reviewed all 77 applications received. A total of $12,008,716 in requests were received for only $3.8m in available funds. The HISC Resources Working Group met on Thursday, July 27, 2017, from 8a - 4p, to determine the final budget recommendation for the full council.
  • HISC FY18 funding priorities are based on the strategy described in the Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan 2017-2027. The plan is available at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/plans/hibp/
  • The HISC met on August 24, 1pm, in the board room of the Department of Land an Natural Resources (1151 Punchbowl St, Honolulu). At this meeting the Council reviewed and voted to approve the recommended FY18 budget and discussed implementation of the Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan. A full agenda is provided on the HISC website.

Upcoming events

• HISC Brownbag - The next presentation topic will be a synopsis of the 2017 Island Invasives Conference. It will be presented by Rachel Neville; OISC manager and will be on September 21 at noon in the Kalanimoku Building, Room 325 conference room.