Committee urges stronger local enforcement of CRB interim rule, forwards resolution to council
July 22, 2026 | Hawaii County, Hawaii
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The Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs on July 22 recommended that the full Hawaii County Council urge the state to strengthen enforcement of interim rule 26-1, a quarantine rule aimed at slowing the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB).
Kavehi Young, public outreach coordinator for the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, told the committee the local group has provided training to help businesses comply. “From one training that we did last month, the next day the participating nursery actually surveyed some of their mulch piles on-site and found a CRB breeding site. We were able to recover 67 grubs,” Young said, describing how community training produced immediate detections.
The resolution, introduced by Councilmembers Eustace and Inaba, urges the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to expand compliance agreements, step up public outreach, and designate a local plant‑quarantine representative on Hawaii Island to be a point of contact for businesses and residents.
Megan Lamson Leatherman, representing Hawaii Wildlife Fund, said CRB threatens culturally and economically important plants, including Hawaiian lolo palms and staple crops. “CRB has been in the state for 13 years, and right now it’s out of control on Oahu and Kauai. We do not want that to happen here,” she said, asking the committee to support steps that make the rule effective on the island.
Jonathan Ho, plant quarantine branch manager for DAB (speaking from Honolulu), described current capacity and operations: DAB has three staff in Kona, is operating largely complaint‑driven, and has supplied traps and treatment support where detections occurred. “From a long‑term standpoint, the real goal is biological control,” Ho said, outlining research toward a virus that could target larvae if host‑specific testing permits it.
Council members pressed for clearer timelines and funding. Several asked whether the state has provided dedicated funding and whether community organizations that run voluntary monitoring should be compensated. Ho said some legislative appropriations have been made in recent years and that DAB is working to fill positions; he also said he was not familiar with every recent funding figure cited by council members.
The committee voted to forward Resolution 603-26 to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
Kavehi Young, public outreach coordinator for the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, told the committee the local group has provided training to help businesses comply. “From one training that we did last month, the next day the participating nursery actually surveyed some of their mulch piles on-site and found a CRB breeding site. We were able to recover 67 grubs,” Young said, describing how community training produced immediate detections.
The resolution, introduced by Councilmembers Eustace and Inaba, urges the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to expand compliance agreements, step up public outreach, and designate a local plant‑quarantine representative on Hawaii Island to be a point of contact for businesses and residents.
Megan Lamson Leatherman, representing Hawaii Wildlife Fund, said CRB threatens culturally and economically important plants, including Hawaiian lolo palms and staple crops. “CRB has been in the state for 13 years, and right now it’s out of control on Oahu and Kauai. We do not want that to happen here,” she said, asking the committee to support steps that make the rule effective on the island.
Jonathan Ho, plant quarantine branch manager for DAB (speaking from Honolulu), described current capacity and operations: DAB has three staff in Kona, is operating largely complaint‑driven, and has supplied traps and treatment support where detections occurred. “From a long‑term standpoint, the real goal is biological control,” Ho said, outlining research toward a virus that could target larvae if host‑specific testing permits it.
Council members pressed for clearer timelines and funding. Several asked whether the state has provided dedicated funding and whether community organizations that run voluntary monitoring should be compensated. Ho said some legislative appropriations have been made in recent years and that DAB is working to fill positions; he also said he was not familiar with every recent funding figure cited by council members.
The committee voted to forward Resolution 603-26 to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
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