STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CONTROLANDMANAGEMENTOFALBIZIAINHAWAIʻIHawaiʻiInvasiveSpeciesCouncil,2018

STRATEGICPLANFORTHECONTROLANDMANAGEMENTOFALBIZIAINHAWAIʻIPrimaryAuthor:John-Carl(JC)WatsonPlanner;HawaiʻiInvasiveSpeciesCouncilContributionsandReviewby:BigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommittee,JoshAtwood(HISC),RandyBartlett(HISC),SpringerKaye(BIISC),DanielleFrohlich(SWCA),KaulunaniUrbanForestryCouncil,KenPuliafico(USFS),TracyJohnson(USFS),JamesLeary(UH-CTAHR),JodiWatson,andJulieGardnerFormoreinformationvisit:www.dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc

Figure1:AlbiziaControlPhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................................2Impacts...........................................................................................................................................................................................4Infrastructuredamage.............................................................................................................................................................4HumanHealthHazards............................................................................................................................................................6EcologicalImpacts......................................................................................................................................................................6Cultural............................................................................................................................................................................................8Impacts:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks............................................................................................................8

ControlMethods.......................................................................................................................................................................10PhysicalControl.........................................................................................................................................................................10ChemicalTreatment................................................................................................................................................................11BiologicalControl.....................................................................................................................................................................12FutureTechnologies................................................................................................................................................................13ControlMethods:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks........................................................................................13

Planning.......................................................................................................................................................................................14Site-SpecificManagementPlans........................................................................................................................................14CommunityEngagement.......................................................................................................................................................14Access..............................................................................................................................................................................................15StakeholderCoordination.....................................................................................................................................................16Liability..........................................................................................................................................................................................16Planning:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks........................................................................................................17

Legislature,Policy,andFunding.......................................................................................................................................17Legislature,Policy,andFunding:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks........................................................17

AllObjectivesandImplementationTasks.....................................................................................................................19LiteratureCited........................................................................................................................................................................22Appendices.................................................................................................................................................................................23

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Introduction

Albiziainfestslargeswathsofourislands.Itsrapidgrowthcrowdsoutnativespecies,itsnitrogenfixingabilitieschangenaturalecosystems,anditsbrittlewoodbreakseasily,smashingpropertyanddestroyinglives.Despitebeingoneofthemostdetrimentalplantsinourstate,thereisnocoordinatedefforttoaddressthisinvasivespeciesonastatewidescale.In2013,SenateResolutionSR41-SD1resolvedthattheHawaiʻiInvasiveSpeciesCouncil(HISC)createacomprehensiveplanforthecontrolofalbiziathroughouttheState.Thepurposeofthisstrategicplanisnottoprovidesite-specificmanagementactionsbuttoprovidelarge-scaleobjectivesandaframeworktominimizetheimpactsofalbiziaontheenvironment,humanhealth,andinfrastructureby:

• Describingstatewideimpactsofalbizia• Summarizingavailablecontrolmethods• Recommendingdirectionsforfutureresearchondetectionandcontrol

methodologies• Supportingandencouragingthedevelopmentofislandorsite-specificmanagement

plans• IdentifyingprioritiesforHISCfundingtosupportresearch,detection,andcontrol

efforts• Identifyingobjectivesandimplementationtaskstoreduceimpactsofalbizia

statewide

AlbiziainHawaiʻi NativetoPapuaNewGuinea,Indonesia,andtheSolomonIslands,albizia(Falcatariamoluccana)isafastgrowingtropicaltreethatwasintroducedtoHawaiʻiin1917byJosephRockasanornamentalplantandforreforestationpurposes(Elbert,etal.2003).Approximately140,000albiziawereplantedinforestryareasthroughoutthestateduringthenon-nativetreeforestryplantingeffortsintheearly20thcentury.Thiseffortwaspriortoourunderstandingofhownon-nativeandinvasiveplantsimpactourenvironment,andatthetimealbiziawasvaluedforitsrapidgrowth.Albiziaisnitrogenfixingwhichallowsittothriveinnutrientdeficientsoilsandbecomeestablishedinrelativelyintactnativeecosystems.Itproduceslargequantitiesofseeds,whichareencasedinlightpaperypodsandcaneasilybedispersedoverlargedistances.AlbiziaisalsooneofthefastestgrowingtreesonEarth,andiscapableofgrowingupto15feetperyearandeasilyattainaheightofover35metersor100feet(Hughes,etal.2011).Therapidgrowthrateofthisspeciesproducesamassivenumberoftrunksandlimbsthatarestructurallyweakandbrittleinnature.Largetreesareproneto“suddenlimbshear,”or“suddenbranchdrop.”Thisphenomenonisdefinedasthesuddenfailureandcollapseoflivebrancheswithnosignofphysicalweakness,andwithoutapparentcause(Draper,etal.2009).

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Theterm"hazardtree"asdefinedinthisstrategicplanappliestoallalbiziatreeswhoseheightisgreaterthaneightfeet,andaregrowingwithinadistanceoflessthan1.5timesitsheightfromroads,structures,powerlines,hikingtrails,areasofcongregation,oranythingofvalue,andwhosefailurewillimpacttheaforementioned.

TheHawaiʻi-PacificWeedRiskAssessment(HPWRA)scoresalbiziaateightandiscategorizedashighlyinvasive.In2011,theHISCpassedresolution11-2resultinginthesupportofdesignatingalbiziaasaninvasivespecies.SeeAppendixno.1forcompletedetails.Fortunately,thereareaspectsofalbiziabiologythatmakelarge-scalecontrolandmanagementactionsfeasible.First,seedlingsareshadesensitiveandmassgerminationeventsrequirethatthecanopybeopenenoughtoallowamplelighttopenetratetotheunderstorylayer(Hughes,etal.2011).Secondly,thereareavarietyofeffectivemethodsthatcanbeemployedtocontrolbothseedlingsandmaturetrees.Onastatewidescale,thereislimitedinformationastothelocationanddistributionofalbiziapopulations.In2014,albiziapopulationsonHawaiʻiIslandweremappedbyJulieGartnerusingguidedclassificationof8-bandWorldView2imagery.InfestedareaswereconfirmedusingPictometry(high-resolutionimagery)androadsidesurveys.Inaddition,abasicanalysisofinfestedacresusingaerialimagerywasperformedforOʻahuforusewithinthisstrategicplan.Polygonswerecreatedanddepictareasthathaveadominantalbiziacanopy.Itshouldbenotedthattheimageryusedtocreatethecoveragemapwasfrom2012,andthatadditionalanalyseswithmorerecentimagerymay Figure2:HeavilyinfestedareasonOʻahuwithdominantalbiziacanopy.

ImageprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

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assistinimplementationofspecificcontrolprojects.Duetothisconstraint,themapshouldbeconsideredtodepicttheminimumacresofalbiziacoverageonthespecificisland.Duetotherapidgrowthrateofalbizia,itispossiblethatpopulationsoftreesreachingheightsupto75feetin2017werenotyetdetectableusingimageryfrom2012.AcresinfestedonOʻahu:~20,000acresAcresInfestedinEastHawaiʻiIsland(providedbyJulieGardner):~43,000acresHawaiʻiPacificWeedRiskAssessmentscore:8,HIGHRISKINVASIVEImpactsTheimpactsofalbiziaarewidelyknownbutwereemphasizedbyTropicalStormIsellein2014,whenhundredsofHawaiʻiIslandresidentswerestrandedfordayswiththeirroadsblockedandwithoutpowerformonthsduetodownedalbiziatrees.HawaiʻiElectricLightCompany(HELCO)estimatesthatitspent$13.7MrespondingtodamagefromIselle,andtheHawaiʻiIslandbranchofHawaiʻiDepartmentofTransportation(HDOT)estimatesthat90%ofallreceivedcallsaboutfallentreesforthepastseveralyearshaveinvolvedalbiziatrees(BIISC,2015).However,HawaiʻiIslandisnottheonlyislandwherealbizia-relatedhazardsthreatenresidents.StandsoflargealbiziacanbefoundonallofthemainHawaiianIslandsexceptforNiʻihau,Molokaʻi,andKahoʻolawe.Thereisagreatneedtofullyquantifythemonetarycostofpotentialdamagesfromalbizia.TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA)requiresthatanalysisstudiesbeconductedasarequisitetoapplyforfederalmoniesorFEMAgrants.AneconomicstudyneedstobeconductedtoassessandmeasurethefinancialimpactofalbiziainHawaiʻi.Thefollowingsectionsoutlinethevarioussectorsthatarenegativelyimpactedbyalbizia.InFY17,HISCfundedaprojectthroughtheUniversityofHawaiʻitobeginanalysisoftheeconomicimpactsofalbiziatoHawaiʻi,aswellasmappopulationdistributionsonOʻahuandKauaʻiusinghigh-resolutionimagery.InfrastructuredamageOftentheresultoffallentreesorbranches,oneofthemainimpactsofalbiziaisdamagetoinfrastructure.BelowisalistofthecommontypesofdamagetoinfrastructureinHawaiʻicausedbyalbizia.

Figure3:Propertydamagecausedbyfallenalbiziabranches.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC.

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Roads/accesswaysAlbiziareadilysproutandgrowalongroadsides.Duetotherapidgrowthhabitofthisspecies,treescanbecomehazardoustoroadswithinafewyears.Fallentreesandbranchescaneasilyblockroadsmakingthemimpassableforemergencyresponsepersonnel,motorists,andresidents.Oncefallentreesand/orbranchesblockaroad,manualremovalistheonlymethodthatcanbeusedtocleardebrisandrestoreaccess.Asalbiziaareprolificseedproducers,maturetreesgrowingadjacenttoroadsideright-of-ways(ROW)actasaseedsourceandallowforperpetualreinfestation.Thisresultsintheneedforcontinualandconstantmaintenance.Largehazardtreesmayrequirecarefulremovalbyacertifiedarborist,drasticallyincreasingthecostforremoval.HDOTreportedlyspent$1millionpermiletoremove1,000albiziatreesontheislandofKauaʻi,withtheremovalofonelargetreecostingasmuchas$10,000.Atotherlocationsstatewide,alonganestimated50milesofroad,thealbiziatreepopulationismaturingandreachinghighdensitieswhereitwillposeasignificantsafetyrisktohighwayusers–potentiallyimposing$50millioninmanagementcosts(HDOT2011). Transmission/telephonelinesAlbiziareadilysproutandgrowalonglineinfrastructureright-of-ways.Duetotherapidgrowthhabitofthisspecies,treesoftenattainaheightcapableofinterferingwithpowerandtelephoneinfrastructurewithinaperiodofafewyears.Treesgrowingalongright-of-waysposeaseriousthreattothelines.Largebranchesarecapableofdamaginganddowningbothtransmissionandtelephonelines.Sincealbiziaareprolificseedproducers,maturetreesgrowingadjacenttotransmissionlineright-of-waysactasaseedsourceandallowforperpetualreinfestationoftheright-of-way.Theresultistheneedforcontinualandconstantmaintenance.BuildingsandpropertyAlbiziaoftenshedbranchesthatcancausedamagetoanystructuresorpersonalproperty(i.e.vehicles)locatedbeneaththem.Duetothelargesizetowhichalbiziacangrow,damagecausedbyhazardtreescanoccurfromadjacentproperties,naturallands,orrightofways.StreamcloggingInhighrainevents,fallentreesandbranchescanblockstreamsatconstrictionpoints,resultingindebrisaccumulationandflooding.In2004,heavyrainsandalbiziadebris

Figure4:Albiziatreesencroachingonpowerlines.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC.

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contributedtothefloodingofMānoastream.Thisfloodeventimpactedresidents,utilities,andtheUniversityofHawaiʻiatMānoa.Anestimated$85millionindamagewascausedbythissingleevent(HonoluluAdvertiser,2007).HumanHealthHazardsFallingbranchesandtreesposeaseriousthreattohumanhealth.Duetotheextremeheightachievedbysomealbizia,bothlargeandsmallbranchescancausesevereinjuryordeathwhendropped.Fallenbranchescanblockroadsandlimitaccesstoemergencyservices.TherehavebeenmultiplerecordedalbiziarelatedfatalitiesandinjuriesinHawaiʻi.ManyofHawaiʻi’spopularhikingtrailsleadthroughalbiziainfestedareas.Hazardtreesinproximitytoareasoffrequentuseexposebothresidentsandvisitorstorisk.EcologicalImpacts

NativeForestsTheprocessofalbiziabecomingestablishedinanativeforestsetsoffaseriesofeventsthatintimewilldrasticallyreducenativebiodiversityandpromotethesuccessofnon-nativespecies.Thenegativeeffectsofalbiziaareespeciallypronouncedinforeststhathavealreadybeeninvadedbynon-nativespeciessuchasstrawberryguava(Psidiumcattleianum).Typicallyseedlingsbecomeestablishedinnewareas

followingadisturbanceeventsuchasroadconstruction,alandslide,orahurricane.Onceestablished,seedlingswillrapidlyincreaseinheightandquicklyovertopthesurroundingtrees.Havingreachedthecanopy,thegrowthformwillbegintochangefromaformwithsingleapicaldominancetoadenseexpandingcanopy.Thislargespreadingcanopyeffectivelyblocksthesunlightandsuppressesgrowthofthetreesbeneath.Asidefromsuppressingthegrowthofotherplants,albiziahasbeenshownthechangenutrientlevelsinsoils(Hughes,etal.2006).Albiziaarehighlyeffectiveatfixingnitrogen,atraitthatfacilitatesitsrapidgrowth.Thischangehasadirectimpactonnativeplants,sinceHawaiʻi’svolcanicsoilsarenaturallynutrientdeficientandtheplantsthatevolvedherehaveadaptedtothrivewithoutrequiringlargeamountsofnitrogen.Theimpactsofgreatlyincreasingthenitrogeninputsfromalbiziaintheformofleaflitterhavebeenshowntoprofoundlytransforminvadedforests(Hughes,etal.2006).Thisnitrogen“boost”facilitatesinvasion

Figure5:AlbiziawithinnativedominatedforestonHawaiʻiIsland.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofESRI

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byweedsadaptedtohighnitrogenlevelswhilesimultaneouslysuppressingnativeplantspecies.Theincreaseofnon-nativeplantspeciesanddecreaseofnativeplantspeciesalsoreducestheavailabilityofqualityhabitatfornativeanimals.Thecumulativeimpactsofalbiziapopulationshavelong-termdetrimentalconsequencesforHawaiianecosystems.Water/HydrologyImpactsTherearenoformaldataregardingevapotranspirationratesorhydrologicalimpacts,thoughthehighgrowthrateofalbiziamayindicatesubstantialwateruse.Inaddition,thenitrogenfixingpropertiesofalbiziahavebeenshowntoprovidenutrientstootherinvasivespeciessuchasstrawberryguava(Psidiumcattleianum)(Hughes,etal.2006).Thehydrologicalimpactsofstrawberryguavahavebeenresearched,andshowthatstandsdominatedwiththisspecieshavealowerground-waterrechargerateandahigherevapotranspirationratethannativeforests(Giambelluca,etal.2008).Surfacewaterimpactscausedbyalbiziapopulationsincludeclogging,bankdestabilization,andstreamdiversion.Debrisandfallentreescancauseblockagesandincreasetheriskoffloodingduringhighrainevents.Theshallowrootednatureofalbiziagrowingalongstreamsallowsforthebanktobecomeundercut,eventuallyresultinginthetopplingofthetreeanddestabilizationofthebankitself.AgricultureTheimpactsofalbiziaontheagriculturalindustryinHawaiʻihavebeenlargelyunstudied.However,ifthegrowthrates,costofremoval,andinvasivenatureofthisspeciesaretakenintoconsideration,itispossibletogetageneralunderstandingofthenegativepressuresthatalbiziaplacesonagriculturalactivities.FarmingAlbiziainfestationseffectbothcommercialandsubsistencefarming.Largetreesadjacenttoagriculturalpropertiespresentahazardforworkersandinfrastructure,havethepotentialtoshadeoutcrops,andsupplyalargeamountofseedsthatcangerminateincultivatedareas.Thepracticeofcroprotationandallowinglandstositfallowisastandardpracticefollowedbymanyagriculturalbusinesses.Thoughtheactofleavingasectionoflandtorestishighlybeneficialandakeyfacettosustainableagriculture,italsopresentsan

Figure6:AlbiziatreesgrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridoronOʻahu.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

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opportunityforalbiziaseedlingstobecomeestablished.Dependingonthelengthoftimeaplotoflandisallowedtositwithoutcultivation,seedlingscanoutgrowthefarmers’abilitytosimplyplowthemover.Thisresultsinaremovalcostforthefarmer.Intheeventthatlargeplotsoflandareleftfallowformanyyears,albiziatreescanachieveasizeanddensitythatiscost-prohibitivetobringingtheparcelbackintocultivation.ForestryTimberplantingsinHawaiʻirelyonthehealthandgrowthofcommercialhardwoodspecies.AlbiziahasbeenplantedasanitrogensourceinseveralEucalyptusplantingsinHawaiʻiandisconsideredbeneficialinsomesituations.However,ifplantingsarenotmanagedinaneffectivemanner,plantedalbiziawillnegativelyimpactthesitebyrapidlyovertoppingandoutgrowingthecommercialtreespecies.Thepresenceoflargematurealbiziatreeswithinatimberplantingalsoincreasesthecostduringharvest.Insomecases,albiziatreepopulationswithinactivetimberproductionsitesmakethecostofharvestprohibitivelyhigh,resultinginabandonmentoftheprojectandasubstantiallossofinvestmentforthetimberproducer.CulturalTheimpactofalbiziaonculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanesissignificant.Manyviewplanesthroughoutthestatehavebeenchangedtothepointwherehistoricvistas,geologicallandmarks,andculturalsightsarenolongervisibleorrecognizable.Thistypeofimpactisdifficulttoquantify,asthevalueoftheseresourcesaresubjectiveandchangeshappengraduallyovertime.Inadditiontoviewplaneobstruction,largetreescontributetothedegradationofunmanagedculturalsitesastreesandrootscancauseirreparabledamagebydestroyingwallsandagriculturalterraces.

Figure2:ViewplaneobstructionatWailukuRiverStatePark(RainbowFalls)onHawaiʻiIsland.Notethelonealbiziatreeinthephotofromtheearly1980sontheleft.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC

Impacts:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksI1:Assesspopulationsizeandfootprintofalbiziaonastatewidescale

I1.1:CompletemappingofalbiziapopulationsusingPictometryorotherhighaccuracytechniquestocreatestatewidemaps

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I2:Assessenvironmentalimpacts I2.2:ResearchhydrologicalimpactsI.2.2:CreateadistributionmodeltoassessthepotentialhabitatsuitableforalbiziainfestationI2.4:PerformhazardanalysisbasedoncurrentfootprintanddistributionmodelI2.5:Performtreeriskassessmentsofalbizialocatedalongtrailsandareasofuse

I3:Protectionofprioritywatershedandwildlifehabitat

I3.1:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziatreesinprioritywatershedareasasidentifiedbytheDivisionofForestryandWildlife'sprioritywatershedmapI3.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziafromnativedominantforests,areasofhighecologicalvalue,andforestscontainingthreatenedorendangeredspecies

I4:Mitigatehazardstoincreasewaterqualityandreduceflooding

I4.1:EstablishstreampilotprogramtoremovealbiziaalongstreamcorridorsI4.2:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziagrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridorsI4.3:Performtreeriskassessmentsforalbiziatreeslocatedwithinstreamcorridors

I5:Assesstheeconomicimpactofalbizia

I5.1:Performaneconomicanalysisoftheimpactsofalbiziaandassociatedcosts

I6:Establishsustainablesecondaryandalternativeusesforremovedmaterials

I6.1:Exploresustainablealternativeusesformaterialsgeneratedbyalbiziaremovalprojects

I7:Protectvaluablepublicinfrastructurefromalbiziadamage

I7.1:DevelopacomprehensivelistofpublicinfrastructurepiecesimpactedbyalbiziaI7.2:StandardroadsidesurveysandcontrolofseedlingsI7.3:StandardutilitycorridorsurveysandcontrolofseedlingsI7.4:RemovalofallhazardtreesaffectingpublicinfrastructurestatewideandcreatebufferzonesoftreatedtreesI7.5:Assesshazardtrees,costoftreatmentforalbizianearpublicschoolsanduniversities

I8:Protectprivateinfrastructurefromalbiziadamagefromtreeslocatedonstatelands

I8.1:Solicitrequestsfromprivatelandownersabuttingstatelandsforpotentialremovalofhazardtrees,inordertogenerateacostandresourceestimateforremovalI8.2:Oncefundinghasbeensecured,(seeL4.8)removehazardalbizialocatednearprivatelandsandcreatebufferzonesoftreatedtrees

I9:Maintainculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanes

I9.1:Assessimpactstohistoricproperties,culturalsites,andviewplanesI9.2:Removalortreatmentoftreesimpactinghistoricproperties,culturalsites,andhistoricviewplanes

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I9.3:Developstandardpracticesforremovalfromhistoricsiteswithminimalimpact.

ControlMethodsPhysicalControlPhysicalremovalofhazardtreesrequiresspecialequipmentandknowledgeandmustbeperformedbyexperiencedandcertifiedarborists.Theremovalordisposaloffelledmaterialsisalsoanimportantaspecttoconsiderwhenutilizingthismethod.CompleteRemovalCompleteremovalrequiresthehighestlevelofeffortwhenusinganyofthephysicalremovalmethodsforlargetrees.Itentailsthecompletefellingofthetreeandthecompleteremovalofallfelledmaterialsfromthesite.Thismethodistypicallyusedinurbanenvironments,wherethereisinsufficientspaceformaterialstobeleftinplacetodecompose.Thismethodalsoresultsinthehighestamountofcostpertree,asitoftenencompassesthetotalcostofthefelling,removal,anddisposal.Thoughthismethodisexpensiveandlaborintensiveforlargetrees,itiscost-effectivefornewlysproutedseedlings.Theseedlingsareshallowrootedandcanbeeasilyhand-pulleduntiltheyhaveattainedaheightoffivefeet.Seedlingscaneasilybebaggedandremovedfromasite.HardTrimmingInmanycases,undertheguidanceofacertifiedarborist,hazardtreescanbegivena“hardtrim”,wherebylimbsandbranchesthatextendtowardsinfrastructurearecutto:1)eliminatethepossibilitythattheywouldfallonsuchinfrastructure,and2)counterbalancethetreesothatitishighlylikelytofallawayfromsaidinfrastructure.Followinga“hardtrim,”thetreemaybekilledwithherbicideandallowedtofallapartsafely.This“hardtrim”approachcanbedoneatafractionofthecostthatitwouldtaketocompletelycutdownagiventree.Tofurtherreducecost,felledmaterialscanbeleftonsiteifthelandowneriswillingtoallowthetreetodecomposeinsitu.GirdlingThismethodisfundamentallythesameasthering-barkingtechnique,andentailsthecompleteremovalofabandoftheinnerandoutercambiumlayersapproximatelysixinchestoonefootwidefromaroundtheentirecircumferenceofthetree.Commontoolsusedtostripthebarkfromthetreeincludehandtoolssuchasamachete,hatchet,orhandsaw.Typicalresultsincludedefoliationwithinoneyearfollowedbytreedeath.Forfasterresults,herbicidescanbeusedinconjunctionwiththismethod,andareappliedtothesiteofbarkremoval.Thismethodisfairlylaborintensivewhencomparedtootherchemicaltreatmentoptionsasdiscussedinthefollowingsection.Asbothgirdlingandring-barkingmethodsdonotrequiretheuseofherbicide,repeattreatmentsmaybenecessary.Inaddition,thismethodshouldnotbeusedonhazardtrees,astreatedtreesarelefttodieinplaceandposearisktosurroundinginfrastructure.

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Ring-BarkingThiscontrolmethodentailsthecompleteremovaloftheinnerandoutercambiumlayersfromaroundtheentirecircumferenceofthetree.Commontoolsusedtostripthebarkfromthetreeincludehandtoolssuchasamachete,barkspudordrawblade.First,incisionsaremadearoundthebaseofthetargettreeatsoillevel.Thebarkisthenstrippedfromthesoilupthetrunk(approx.fourtosixfeet).Thistechniqueisfairlylowcostandcanbeusedbyvirtuallyanyone.Resultsarehighlyeffectivewithdefoliationoccurringbetweensixmonthstooneyear,anddeathofthetreeeventuallyfollowing.(Hughes,etal.2012).Thismethodshouldnotbeusedonhazardtrees,astreatedtreesarelefttodieinplaceandposearisktosurroundinginfrastructure.ChemicalTreatmentUsingchemicalcontroltotreatalbiziaishighlyeffectiveandrequiresverysmallamountsofherbicide.Therearenumeroustechniquesthatcanbeutilizedwhentreatingalbiziawithachemicalapplication.Choosingthecorrectmethodorcombinationofmethodsandpairingthemwithsite-specificstrategiesiskeytothesuccessofanyalbiziacontrolproject.IncisionPointApplication(IPA)IPAisanefficienttechniqueforadministeringalethaldoseofherbicidedirectlyintothevascularsystemofwoodyspecies.Thismethodcanbeusedasastand-alonetreatmentorincombinationwithhardtrimming.Itshouldnotbeusedforhazardtrees,astreatedtreesareleftinplaceandshedbranchesasthetreedies.Canopydefoliationcanbeexpectedwithintwotosixweeksandcanopycollapsewithintwoyears(Hughes,etal.2017).Trunksmayremainstandingforuptothreeyearsandfallentreeswillcontinuetodecomposefordecadesorlonger.Specificationsfortreatmentincludetheinjectionofa0.5mldoseofundilutedMilestone® herbicideintoequidistant

Figure9:ControlusingtheIncisionPointApplicationcontrolmethod.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC

Figure8:Ring-barkedtreeinSāmoa.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

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hatchetincisions(Leary,etal.2011).CompleteinstructioncanbefoundinAppendixno.2.Herbicidecostspertreeassociatedwiththismethodcanbecalculatedbymultiplyingthecostpermilliliterbythenumberof0.5mldosespertree.Forexample:ThecurrentcostofMilestone®/doseis$0.05.Atreethatisapproximately24inchesindiameterwillrequireapproximately15incisions.($0.05*15=$0.75).Theherbicidecostforthistreewillbeapproximately$0.75.Itshouldbenotedthatthemajorityofcostassociatedwithtreatmentwillbefromlabor;bothintheformofcosttotreat(timeittakestoadministertreatmentpertree)andtimetoaccess(timeittakestoaccessthetrees).Thesecostswillvarybyprojectsite,aseachwillhavedifferinglevelsofaccessibilityandtreedensities.SeeAppendixno.2forcompleteinstructionsforusingthismethod.Thismethodshouldnotbeusedonhazardtrees,astreatedtreesarelefttodieinplaceandposearisktosurroundinginfrastructure.Cut-StumpThecut-stumpmethodiswidelyused,andiseffectiveonavarietyofdifferentspecies.Thismethodentailsfellingthetargettreeandtreatingtheremainingstumpwithaconcentrateddoseofherbicide.Typicalherbicidesusedforcut-stumpapplicationincludeGarlon4®,Garlon4Ultra®,orGarlon3A®(activeingredient:Tryclopyr)at20%-100%concentration.FoliarSprayTheFoliarspraymethodentailsapplyingaliquidherbicidesolutiondirectlytotheleavesofatargetplantspecies.Thiscontrolmethodisnotaneffectivemeansofcontrollingalbiziaoncetheyhavesurpassedtheseedlingstage,butcanbeahighlyeffectiveandefficientmeansofcontrollingthedensematsofseedlingsthatresultfromamassgerminationevent.Theuseoffoliarapplicationmethodsonlargetreesisnotconsideredtobelogisticallyfeasibleduetotheneedforhelicopters,customsprayequipment,largequantitiesofherbicides,andnon-targetimpacts.Foliarapplicationistypicallyappliedwiththeuseofhand,backpack,orvehicle-mountedsprayers.BiologicalControlBiologicalcontrolinvolvesusinghost-specificlivingorganismssuchasinsects,fungi,plantpathogens,etc.tosuppressaweedinfestation.Theuseofbiologicalcontrolagentsisoftentheonlyfeasiblemethodofpermanentlyreducinginfestationswhenfacedwithlarge,long-establishedinvasivespeciespopulations.Biologicalcontrolresearchisalengthyprocessthattypicallyincludesexploratoryresearchinthenativerangeofthetargetspeciestosearchforpotentialagents,host-specificitytestingtoensurepotentialagentsdonothavesignificantnon-targetimpacts,andareviewandpermittingprocessthroughtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureAnimalPlantHealthInspectionServicePlantProtectionQuarantine(USDAAPHISPPQ)andHawaiʻiDepartmentofAgriculture(HDOA).FinalapprovalforthefieldreleaseofthecontrolagentmayalsorequirepublicconsultationanddisclosurepursuanttotheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)andHawaiʻiEnvironmentalPolicyAct(HEPA).Foralbizia,biologicalcontrolagentswouldideallytargetreproductivecapacityand/or

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attacktreesonlyinearlystagesofgrowth.Cautionshouldbetakentoavoidintroducingabiologicalcontrolagentthatcouldweakenorkilladulthazardtrees,asthiscouldposeadditionalriskstopeopleandinfrastructure.However,defoliationofadulttreesbybiologicalcontrolagentscangreatlyreducetheeffectofwindonthesetreestherebyloweringtheriskofsuddenlimbdropwhileslowingtreegrowth.ThroughaHISC-fundedproposal,theInstituteofPacificIslandsForestry,Pacific-SouthwestResearchStation,USDAForestServicebeganexplorationforpotentialcontrolagentsofalbiziain2015.HISCfundedadditionalresearchin2016and2018toconductadditionalforeignexplorationandbeginhost-specificitytesting.TobringpopulationsofalbiziadowntomanageablelevelsinHawaiʻi,futureandcontinuedbiologicalcontrolresearchisnecessaryuntilasuiteofsuccessfulagentshavebeenreleased.FutureTechnologiesThepotentialforcurrentlyunknowntechnologiesrelatingtothemanagementofinvasivespeciesmayprovetobesignificant.Asnewtechnologiesareresearchedandbecomeavailable,potentialuseasameansofcontrollingalbiziashouldbeconsidered.Someexamplesmayinclude:

• Gene-drive• Geneticallymodifiedcontrolagents• Unmannedaerialsystems

ControlMethods:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksM1:Establishnewandeffectivebiologicalcontrolsforalbizia

M1.1:ContinuedbiocontrolresearchM1.2:Releaseofalbizia-specificbiocontrolagents

M2:Establishadditionalchemicalandphysicalremovaltechniquesoroptions

M2.1:Researchadditionalfoliar,systemic,andpre-emergentcontroloptionsM2.2:Researchimprovedphysicalremovalortreatmentoptions

M3:Establishimprovedtechnologiesforthecontrolofalbizia

M3.1:Researchoffuturetechnologiesandmethodssuchasgenetictechniques,deploymentmethods,etc.

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PlanningSite-SpecificManagementPlans

Whilethisstrategicplanidentifiesstatewiderecommendationsforadvancingdetectionandcontrolofalbizia,eachisland(orsitewithinanisland)willpresentitsownspecificsuiteofchallengesandshoulddevelopaspecificmanagementandcontrolstrategy.ThroughpartnershipsbetweenHawaiʻiDepartmentofTransportation(HDOT),HawaiʻiElectricLightCompany(HELCO),HawaiʻiCounty,theUSForestService,andtheBigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommittee(BIISC),HawaiʻiIslandhasbecometheforerunnerwithregardstoalbiziamanagementandcontrolonalandscapescale.Withateamdedicatedtoalbiziaremovalandstandardizedcommunityworkshops,theactionsofBIISCcanbeusedasamodelforhowtobeginon-the-groundalbiziamanagementactions.Templateforsite-specificcontrolplansTofacilitatethecreationofsite-specificmanagementactions,aplantemplatehasbeendeveloped.SeeAppendixno.3formanagementplantemplate.Site-specificmanagementplansprovidedetailedgoal-orientedcontrolstrategiestoaddresstheuniqueneedsandchallengesassociatedwithagivenmanagementsite.Insomeinstances,anenvironmentalassessmentorenvironmentalimpactstatementmayberequired.CommunityEngagementCommunityengagement,empowerment,andparticipationareallcriticalcomponentsofarobustanddiversemanagementstrategy.Engagementoflocalcommunityleaders,informationsharing,andcollaborativeplanningarehighlyeffectivemeansofdisseminatinginformationintoacommunity.Adaptableisland-basedorcommunity-specificplansshouldbedevelopedtoallowformaximumcommunityinvolvement,management,andcontrol.Whenbeginningcommunityengagementprojects,pilotcommunitieswithahighlikelihoodofsuccessshouldbetargetedfirst.Bysuccessfullyattainingmanagementwithinatargetcommunity,apositivetrackrecordcanbeestablished,thusmakingiteasiertomoveforwardandengageothermorechallengingcommunities.

Figure10:Albiziagrowinginvacantlotsposeathreattoadjacentproperties.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

15

TheBIISCAlbiziaControlTeamsor“AlbiziaAssassin”programprovidesagoodexampleofthestepsthatcanbetakentocreatecommunitycontrolteams.Stepsinclude:

• Hostinganinvasivespeciesmanagementorganizationrepresentativeatacommunityeventsuchasaneighborhoodboardorassociationmeetingtopresentaboutalbiziaanddiscussthepotentialprogram.

• Establishingacommunityliaisonoralbiziacoordinator.Thispersonassistsinsettinguptrainingworkshopsandisthepointofcontactforthemanagementorganizationandvolunteers.

• Holdingatrainingworkshoptoengagecommunitymembersandprovidetrainingonhazardtreeidentification,treatmentmethods,andprotectiveequipment.Theseworkshopsareoftenpairedwithacommunityworkday.

• Trackingprogress.Trackingandreportingbothtreatedtreesanduntreatedhazardtreesnotonlyprovidesaclearmeasureofprogramimpactandengagement,butalsohelpsmanagementorganizationsprovidesupportwhenneeded.

AdditionalinformationonhowtosetupacommunitycontrolteamcanbefoundontheBIISCwebsiteat:http://www.biisc.org/neighborhood-albizia-control-teamsorinAppendixno.4.AccessWillingLandownersCooperativeplanningwithlandownersandobtainingpermissionforaccesswillbenecessaryforallsurveyandcontroloperations.Giventhevarietyofdifferentchemicalandphysicalmethodsavailableforalbiziamanagement,itisimportanttoaccommodatealandowner'spreferredmanagementorcontroltechnique.ResistantorUnresponsiveLandownersIntheeventthatalandowneriseitherresistantorunresponsive,projectmanagersmustevaluatewhetherlong-termprojectsuccessrequirestreatmentofthelandowner'sproperty,andwhetherthebenefitsofprojectsuccessoutweighthecosts(financialandotherwise)ofpursuinglegalactiontogainentrytotheproperty.Therearemultipleprovisionsinstatelawtogainaccesstoprivatepropertyforcontrolofalbizia,buttheseshouldbeusedasalastresort,onlywhenaccessisdeniedandtreatingthepropertyinquestioniscrucialtoprotectingpublicsafetyandresourcesatlarge.HawaiʻiRevisedStatutes(HRS)127A-18givestheGovernortheauthoritytoauthorizeaccesstoprivatepropertytocut,trim,orremovedangeroustreesorbranchesthatposeahazardtootherproperties.TheGovernormayalsoputalienonthetreeowner’spropertyuntilthecostofremovalisreimbursedtothestate(127A-18).TherearecurrentlynodesignatedfundingmechanismsfortheStatetoperformmitigationeffortsrelatingtoalbizia.SimilartoHRS127A-18,theHawaiʻiCountyCodechapter20,article2providesanavenueforthepublictoreportcomplaintsrelatingtounsafefloraandgivesthecountyauthorityto

16

accessprivatepropertytocut,trim,orremovedangeroustreesorbranchesthatposeahazardtootherproperties.Asdefinedinthisordinance,“Unsafeflora”meansanyoranypartofatree,bush,vine,orgrassthatposesanimminentdangerforfire,health,safety,propertydamage,orcriminalthreattopersonsoradjacentpropertyandstructuresincludingbuildings,roofs,raingutters,antennae,driveways,landscaping,privacystructures(includinggates,fencing,andstonewalls),tents,garages,automobiles,powerlines,phonelines,playgroundequipment,watercatchmenttanks,swimmingpools,oranyotherstructuresandproperty(2016CC,c20,art2,sec20-1).RecentpassageofHouseBill606(2017)furtherdelegatesauthorityheldbytheDepartmentofAgriculturetotheCountiesandtheiragents,toenterprivatepropertytoaddressaninvasivespecies.Oncesignedintolaw,implementationwillbeinthehandsofthecounties.Itwillbeusefultomonitortheprogressanddifferentapproachestakenineachcountytobenefitthepublicthroughthisact.Toassistwithmakingcontactandbeginningthenotificationprocess,sampleletterstounresponsivelandownershavebeendevelopedbyBIISC.SeeAppendixno.5forsampleletters.StakeholderCoordinationForgingpositiverelationshipsbetweenstateagencies,federalagencies,legislatures,communitygroups,researchers,industryprofessionals,andlandownerswillbecrucialtothesuccessofanylarge-scalemanagementactivitiesrequiredtocontrolalbiziaonastatewidescale.Potentialstakeholdersinclude:utilitycompanies,stateagencies,neighborhoodboards,privatelandowners,communityassociations,watershedpartnerships,etc.LiabilityAlbiziatreespresentauniquesituationintermsofliabilityfordamagecausedbyfallingtreesorbranches.Determiningliabilitydependsonmanyfactors.Somefactorsmaybebasedonifthetreeislocatedonprivateorpubliclands,whetherornotthetreehasbeenidentifiedandreportedasahazard,whetherornotthetreehasbeentreated,andwhetherornotwarningsignagehasbeenposted.Dependingonthecircumstances,liabilityforcostsofdamageassociatedwithfallingtreesortreelimbsmaybeassignedtotheownerofthelandwherethetreeresides,theindividualwhotreatedthetree,ortotheorganization/agencyresponsibleformanagementactions.Toreduceliability,itishighlyrecommendedthatsignagebeutilizedwheneverpossible.SignsshouldcomplywithHawaiʻiAdministrativeRules13-8(Act82)andwiththeAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI),andbeinspectedannually.Signsshouldalsobeconstructedofmaterialsthatwillnotdegradeinadverseenvironmentalconditionsandshouldbepostedforthreeyears,oruntilalltreatedtreeshavefallendown.Tofurtherreduceliabilityandminimizeriskofdamagecausedbymanagementactions,communityengagementandnotificationshouldbeconsidered.

17

Planning:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksP1:Supportcreationofdetailedactionplans

P1.1:Creationofdetailedislandspecificorsitespecificmanagementplansand/orhazardmitigationplansforKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Molokaʻi,Maui,Lanaʻi,andHawaiʻiP1.2:Createalbizia-specificbiocontrolplan

P2:Empowerthecommunitytotakeaction

P2.1:DevelopmentofislandbasedoutreachplansP2.2:CreatealbiziacontrolteamsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiP2.3:Engageneighborhoodboards,communityassociations,etc.inalbiziaimpactedareas

P3:Engagelandownersandotherstakeholders

P3.1:ReachouttoalllargelandownerswithalbiziapopulationsP3.2:ExploretreatmentandremovaloptionsonprivatelandsP3.3:CreationofaninteragencyAlbiziaControlWorkingGroup

Legislature,Policy,andFundingThesuccessfulcontrolofapreviouslyunmanagedinvasivespecieswillrequireahighdegreeofsupportfrompolicyandlawmakers.Havingalegislativebodythatiswillingtomakelong-termcommitmentswillbeparamounttothesuccessfulmanagementofalbiziainHawaiʻi.Directengagementandoutreachwillalsobeacriticalfacetwhenattemptingtogainsupportinthelegislature.Legislativeactionssuchasincentivesorfundingappropriationswillhaveadirecteffectduringtheearlystagesofstatewidealbiziamanagementactions,andwillserveasafoundationforfuturemanagementactions.Long-termlegislativeactionssuchasimprovedregulations,aprohibitiononplanting,real-estatedisclosureclauses,etc.,willprovidealastingstructuretofurtherreduceimpactsfromalbiziatothepeopleofHawaiʻi.In-kindfundingorvolunteereffortswilllikelyplayalargerolewhenengagingcommunitiesandcreatingAlbiziaControlTeams.InadditiontosupportivestatutorypoliciesfromtheLegislature,thereisalsoaneedforthecreationofadministrativerulesandbestmanagementpracticesforagencies,partners,andthegeneralpublicformanagingalbiziainaneffectivemanner.Thepurposeofstandardizedbestmanagementpracticesistoprovideguidanceastowhenmanagementactionsshouldbetaken,thetimeframeforremovalactivities,andwhichmethodoftreatmenttouse.Legislature,Policy,andFunding:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksL1:Createpoliciesthatsupportalbiziacontrolandmanagement

L1.1:Prohibitfutureplantingofalbizia(FalcatariamoluccanaandAlbiziachinensis)L1.2:OfficiallydesignatealbiziaasaHISCpriorityspecies/invasivespeciesL1.3:OfficiallydesignateAlbiziaasanoxiousweed

18

L2:Establishbestmanagementpractices

L2.2:EstablishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforagenciesL2.3:EstablishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforgovernmentcontractorsandindustryprofessionalsL2.4:EstablishguidelinesforbestmanagementpracticesforthepublicL2.5:Establishroadright-of-wayseedlingcontrolprotocolsL2.6:Establishminimumcriteriaforlong-termmaintenanceofhighwayROWand150footbuffersinenvironmentaldocumentsforhighwaydevelopmentprojectsincludingnewconstructionaswellasroadwidening(e.g.Albiziafreefortenyearspostconstruction)

L3:CreateincentivestoassistlandownerswithAlbiziacontrolandtomitigatehazardtreeremoval

L3.1:Taxcreditorotherincentivesforremovalofhazardtreesonprivateproperty

L3.2:Exploreopportunitiestoestablishacost-sharingorsubsidyprogramsL3.3:Realestatedisclosuresforpropertieswithlargealbiziaand/orhazardalbiziaonneighboringproperty

L4:Increasefundingforstatewidealbiziamanagementefforts

L4.1:FundingforhazardtreeremovalpursuanttoHRS127A-18L4.2:FundingforAlbiziaspecificbiocontrolresearchL4.3:FundingforhazardtreesinpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiL4.4:FundingforCommunitybasedcontrolpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiL4.5:FundingforcontinuedearlydetectioneffortsonMolokaʻiL4.6:FundingforcontinuedalbiziacontrolworkonHawaiʻiIslandL4.7:Identifysourcesoffundingforinvasivespeciesworkinthehighways’ROWL4.8UseestimateidentifiedinI8.1torequestfundingfromthelegislaturetoremovehazardtreesnearprivatepropertybutwhicharelocatedonstatelands

19

AllObjectivesandImplementationTasksThefollowingstrategies,goals,andrecommendationsaimtoprovidearoadmaptosuccessfulmanagementofalbiziaonalandscapescalethroughouttheStateofHawaiʻi.ImpactsI1:Assesspopulationsizeandfootprintofalbiziaonastatewidescale

I1.1:CompletemappingofalbiziapopulationsusingPictometryorotherhighaccuracytechniquestocreatestatewidemaps

I2:Assessenvironmentalimpacts I2.2:ResearchhydrologicalimpactsI.2.2CreateadistributionmodeltoassessthepotentialhabitatsuitableforalbiziainfestationI2.4:PerformhazardanalysisbasedoncurrentfootprintanddistributionmodelI2.5:Performtreeriskassessmentsofalbizialocatedalongtrailsandareasofuse

I3:Protectionofprioritywatershedandwildlifehabitat

I3.1:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziatreesinprioritywatershedareasasidentifiedbytheDivisionofForestryandWildlife'sprioritywatershedmapI3.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziafromnativedominantforests,areasofhighecologicalvalue,andforestscontainingthreatenedorendangeredspecies

I4:Mitigatehazardstoincreasewaterqualityandreduceflooding

I4.1:EstablishstreampilotprogramtoremovealbiziaalongstreamcorridorsI4.2:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziagrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridorsI4.3:Performtreeriskassessmentsforalbiziatreeslocatedwithinstreamcorridors

I5:Assesstheeconomicimpactofalbizia

I5.1:Performaneconomicanalysisoftheimpactsofalbiziaandassociatedcosts

I6:Establishsustainablesecondaryandalternativeusesforremovedmaterials

I6.1:Exploresustainablealternativeusesformaterialsgeneratedbyalbiziaremovalprojects

I7:Protectvaluablepublicinfrastructurefromalbiziadamage

I7.1:DevelopacomprehensivelistofpublicinfrastructurepiecesimpactedbyalbiziaI7.2:StandardroadsidesurveysandcontrolofseedlingsI7.3:StandardutilitycorridorsurveysandcontrolofseedlingsI7.4:RemovalofallhazardtreesaffectingpublicinfrastructurestatewideandcreatebufferzonesoftreatedtreesI7.5:Assesshazardtrees,costoftreatmentforalbizianearpublicschoolsanduniversities

20

I8:Protectprivateinfrastructurefromalbiziadamagefromtreeslocatedonstatelands

I8.1:Solicitrequestsfromprivatelandownersabuttingstatelandsforpotentialremovalofhazardtrees,inordertogenerateacostandresourceestimateforremovalI8.2:Oncefundinghasbeensecured,(seeL4.8)removehazardalbizialocatednearprivatelandsandcreatebufferzonesoftreatedtrees

I9:Maintainculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanes

I9.1:Assessimpactstohistoricproperties,culturalsites,andviewplanesI9.2:Removalortreatmentoftreesimpactinghistoricproperties,culturalsites,andhistoricviewplanesI9.3:Developstandardpracticesforremovalfromhistoricsiteswithminimalimpact.

ControlMethodsM1:Establishnewandeffectivebiologicalcontrolsforalbizia

M1.1:ContinuedbiocontrolresearchM1.2:Releaseofalbizia-specificbiocontrolagents

M2:Establishadditionalchemicalandphysicalremovaltechniquesoroptions

M2.1:Researchadditionalfoliar,systemic,andpre-emergentcontroloptionsM2.2:Researchimprovedphysicalremovalortreatmentoptions

M3:Establishimprovedtechnologiesforthecontrolofalbizia

M3.1:Researchoffuturetechnologiesandmethodssuchasgenetictechniques,deploymentmethods,etc.

PlanningP1:Supportcreationofdetailedactionplans

P1.1:Creationofdetailedislandspecificorsitespecificmanagementplansand/orhazardmitigationplansforKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Molokaʻi,Maui,Lanaʻi,andHawaiʻiP1.2:Createalbizia-specificbiocontrolplan

P2:Empowerthecommunitytotakeaction

P2.1:DevelopmentofislandbasedoutreachplansP2.2:CreatealbiziacontrolteamsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiP2.3:Engageneighborhoodboards,communityassociations,etc.inalbiziaimpactedareas

P3:Engagelandownersandotherstakeholders

P3.1:ReachouttoalllargelandownerswithalbiziapopulationsP3.2:ExploretreatmentandremovaloptionsonprivatelandsP3.3:CreationofaninteragencyAlbiziaControlWorkingGroup

21

Legislature,Policy,andFundingL1:Createpoliciesthatsupportalbiziacontrolandmanagement

L1.1:Prohibitfutureplantingofalbizia(FalcatariamoluccanaandAlbiziachinensis)L1.2:OfficiallydesignatealbiziaasaHISCpriorityspecies/invasivespeciesL1.3:OfficiallydesignateAlbiziaasanoxiousweed

L2:Establishbestmanagementpractices

L2.2:EstablishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforagenciesL2.3:EstablishstandardBestmanagementpracticesforgovernmentcontractorsandindustryprofessionalsL2.4:EstablishguidelinesforbestmanagementpracticesforthepublicL2.5:Establishroadright-of-wayseedlingcontrolprotocolsL2.6:EstablishminimumcriteriaforlongtermmaintenanceofhighwayROWand150footbuffersinenvironmentaldocumentsforhighwaydevelopmentprojectsincludingnewconstructionaswellasroadwidening(e.g.Albiziafreefortenyearspostconstruction)

L3:CreateincentivestoassistlandownerswithAlbiziacontrolandtomitigatehazardtreeremoval

L3.1:Taxcreditorotherincentivesforremovalofhazardtreesonprivateproperty

L3.2:Exploreopportunitiestoestablishacost-sharingorsubsidyprogramsL3.3:Realestatedisclosuresforpropertieswithlargealbiziaand/orhazardalbiziaonneighboringproperty

L4:Increasefundingforstatewidealbiziamanagementefforts

L4.1:FundingforhazardtreeremovalpursuanttoHRS127A-18L4.2:FundingforAlbiziaspecificbiocontrolresearchL4.3:FundingforhazardtreesinpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiL4.4:FundingforCommunitybasedcontrolpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻiL4.5:FundingforcontinuedearlydetectioneffortsonMolokaʻiL4.6:FundingforcontinuedalbiziacontrolworkonHawaiʻiIslandL4.7:Identifysourcesoffundingforinvasivespeciesworkinthehighways’ROWL4.8UseestimateidentifiedinI8.1torequestfundingfromthelegislaturetoremovehazardtreesnearprivatepropertybutwhicharelocatedonstatelands

22

LiteratureCited

1. ElbertL.LittleJr.;Skoman,RogerG.(2003)AgricultureHandbookno.679.CTAHR,UHManoa.

2. HawaiʻiInvasiveSpeciesCouncilResolutionNo.11-2.3. SenateResolutionSR41-SD1.

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=41&year=2013.

4. BigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommittee,BISC.(2015)AfterIselle,AplanformitigationofAlbiziaHazardsAcrossEastHawaii.May2015.

5. HawaiʻiDepartmentofTransportation(2011)2012-2022StatewideNoxiousInvasivePestProgramStrategicPlan.

6. Vorsino,Mary.HonoluluAdvertiser.(1/4/2007)http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jan/04/ln/FP701040346.html.

7. Draper,DannyB.;Richards,PererA.(2009)DictionaryforManagingTreesinUrbanEnvironments.InstituteofAustralianConsultingArboriculturists,CSIRPPublishing,CollingwoodAU.

8. Hughes,R.F.;Uowolo,AmandaL.(2006)ImpactsofFalcatariamoluccanainvasionondecompositioninHawaiianlowlandwetforests:theimportanceofstand-levelcontrols.Ecosystems9,977–991.

9. Giambelluca,T.W.;Delay,J.K.;Asner,G.P.;Martin,R.E.;Nullet,M.A.;Huang,m.;Mudd,R.G.;Takahashi,M.(2008)StandStructuralControlsonEvapotranspirationinNativeandInvadedTropicalMontaneCloudForestinHawai'i.AmericanGeophysicalUnion,FallMeeting2008,abstract#B43A-0422

10. Hughes,R.F.;Johnson,M.T.;andUowolo,A.(2011)TheInvasiveAlienTreeFalcatariamoluccana:ItsImpactsandManagement.ProspectsofWeedBiologicalControlonPacificIslands.Session5,218-223.

11. Hughes,R.F.;Kaye,S.;Kirby,A.;Sowards,T.;andMorrison,C.(2017)Statusreportforprojectentitled:MonitoringpatternsandprocessesofFalcatariamoluccana(Albizia)decayandforestsuccessionfollowingherbicidetreatmentinHawaii’slowlandwetforests.

12. Leary,James;Friday,JB;Kaye,Springer;Hughes,Flint.(2011)ProperTechniqueforInjectingAlbizia(Falcatariamoluccana)withtheherbicideMilestone(activeingredient:Aminopyralid).UniversityofHawaiʻiCollegeofTropicalAgricultureandHumanResources.

13. Hughes,R.Flint;Uowolo,AmandaL.;Togia,TavitaP.(2012)Recoveryofnativeforestsafterremovalofaninvasivetree,Falcatariamoluccana,inAmericanSamoa.BiolInvasions(inpress)DOI10.1007/s10530-011-0164-y

14. HawaiʻiRevisedStatutes(HRS)127A-18.(2014)“Mitigationofhazardoussituations”.http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0127A/HRS_0127A-0018.htm.

15. HawaiʻiCountyCode,Chapter20,article2,sections20-20through20-24(6/30/2016)“ClearingOccupiedandUnoccupiedLots”.http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-countycode/#countycode.

23

Appendices

1. SenateResolution41S.D.12. ControlguideforadministeringincisionpointapplicationusingMilestone®

herbicide3. Templateforsite-specificorspecies-specificmanagementplan4. BigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommittee–AlbiziaControlTeamOverview5. BigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommitteesampleLettertoAbsenteelandowner

24

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

THE SENATE

STATE OF HAWAII TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 201 3

SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A

COMPREHENSIVE INTERAGENCY PLAN FOR THE CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF ALBIZIA THROUGHOUT THE STATE; STARTING WITH THE ISLAND OF HAWAII, AND TO PARTNER TO UTILIZE ALBIZIA TREES THAT ARE REMOVED AND URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO INVESTIGATE BIOCONTROL AGENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF ALBIZIA.

WHEREAS , the F a 1 c a t a r i a mol u c c a n a , commonly known as the Albizia tree, is native to the South Pacific and was introduced to Hawaii in 1917; and

WHEREAS, Albizia is a fast growing tree with shallow roots, brittle wood, and a weak structure; and

WHEREAS, Albizia's rapid growth rate and soil-altering roots and foliage pose a threat to lowland native forests, falling Albizia trees and branches pose a safety hazard to homeowners and motorists, and Albizia trees have damaged overhead and underground utilities; and

WHEREAS, Albizia has proliferated on the island of Hawaii to the point where it has become a significant problem; and

WHEREAS, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, a voluntary partnership of private citizens, community organizations, businesses, land owners, and government agencies, has attempted to control and eradicate Albizia but has experienced difficulty doing so because of the extent of Albizia's proliferation on public and private lands and because the Big Island Invasive Species Committee is significantly underfunded at the policy level; and

WHEREAS, policy-level direction, coordination, and planning are needed to properly control and eradicate Albizia on the island of Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013,

2013-2008 SR41 SD1 SMA.doc

lillll llll lllll WII Illl~lI llllll llllllllilll~l I1.illlllllll lllllllllll Blllllll llllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllll111111

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Page 2

that the Invasive Species Council is urged to develop and implement a comprehensive interagency plan for the control and eradication of Albizia throughout the State, starting with the island of Hawaii, pursuant to chapter 194, Hawaii Revised Statues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Invasive Species Council is urged to find partners to utilize the Albizia trees that are removed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture is urged to investigate biocontrol agents for the control of Albizia; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and the Invasive Species Council.

2013-2008 SR41 SD1 SMA.doc

1111 lllllllllllllllll I111111.11111 lllllllllll~lilllllllllll11 Ill 11111111111111IIlllIIIIIIIIIIII.ullll~lllllll llllllllll

26

Herbicide Labels: FIFRA Sec. 24(c) Special Local Need Label For Distribution and U

se Only in the State of Haw

aii For Control of Albizia (Falcataria m

oluccana) and O

ther Woody Species in N

atural Areas. http://w

ww

2.hawaii.gov//hdoa/labels/sln/1203_2017.pdf

Milestone® Specialty Herbicide, EPA Reg N

o. 62719-519 (Dow

AgroSciences LLC, Indianapolis, IN

). http://ww

w.cdm

s.net/LDat/ld77N015.pdf

Guides for Herbicide Injection:

Practitioner’s Guide

for Testing

Herbicide Efficacy w

ith the Incision Point Application (IPA) Technique on Invasive W

oody Plant Species. http://w

ww

.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/W

C-11.pdf Practitioner’s Guide for Effective Non-Restricted Herbicide Techniques to Control and Suppress Invasive

Woody

Species in

Hawaii.

http://ww

w.ctahr.haw

aii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/WC-10.pdf

Guides for M

easuring Tree Height: http://w

ww

.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/links.htm

l http://w

ww

.wikihow

.com/M

easure-the-Height-of-a-Tree https://play.google.com

/store/apps/details?id=com.taakk

umn.iHypsom

eterLite&hl=en

Local Sources for Herbicide Purchasing: Haw

aii Grower Products Inc.

http://ww

w.haw

aiigrowerproducts.com

BEI Haw

aii http://w

ww

.beihawaii.com

Crop Production Services Inc. http://w

ww

.cpsagu.com/regions/Haw

aii Key search term

s for online purchasing: Drop

Dispenser Bottle,

Hatchet, Bush

Pilot Hatchet, Survival Hatchet, Cam

ping Hatchet

Contributors: Jam

es Leary

1, JB

Friday1,

Springer Kaye

2, Flint

Hughes 3

1 Departm

ent of

Natural

Resources and

Environmental

Managem

ent (N

REM),

College of

Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR),

University of Haw

ai‘i at Manoa (U

HM)

2 Big Island

Invasive Species

Comm

ittee (BIISC),

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU

), University of

Hawai‘i at M

anoa 3 Institute of Pacific Island Forestry (IPIF), U

SDA Forest Service Acknow

ledgements:

Nick Dudley, Haw

aii Agriculture Research Center (HARC), Linda Cox (N

REM), Piihonua Albizia Control

Team (PACT).

Disclaim

er: M

ention of specific brand names does not constitute

endorsement on the part of the authors, CTAHR, or

the University of Haw

ai‘i.

Proper Technique for Injecting Albizia (Falcataria m

oluccana L.) with the

herbicide Milestone® (active

ingredient: Aminopyralid)

This guide explains how to adm

inister an effective

herbicide injection

application to

medium

and

large albizia

canopy trees

occupying natural areas in accordance to FIFRA section

24(c) Special

Local N

eed (SLN

) registration

HI-120003. It

is a

violation of

Federal law to use this herbicide in a m

anner inconsistent

with

its registered

application m

ethods. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL FIRST!

Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Hum

an Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension w

ork, Acts of M

ay 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U

.S. Departm

ent of Agriculture, under the Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, U

niversity of Haw

ai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu,

Hawai‘i 96822.Copyright 2011, U

niversity of Hawai‘i. For reproduction

and use permission, contact the CTAHR O

ffice of Comm

unication Services, ocs@

ctahr.hawaii.edu, 808-956-7036. The university is an

equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing program

s and services to the people of Haw

ai‘i without regard to race, sex,

gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, m

arital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. Find CTAHR publications at w

ww

.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs.

27

The injection method, also know

n as Incision Point Application (IPA), is a calibrated, hygienic,

and efficient

technique for

administering suppressive or lethal herbicide

doses directly to the exposed vascular systems

of w

oody species.

In previous

studies, M

ilestone® (active

ingredient am

inopyralid; Dow

AgroSciences

LLC, Indianapolis,

IN)

injections were proven to be lethal to m

edium

size, 12

in. trunk

diameter,

albizia trees

administered w

ith a 0.5 ml dose of undiluted

herbicide injected into hatchet incisions spaced

every 10

in. around

the circum

ference of the trunk, at a height w

ithin 3 ft. above ground level. For trunks >24

in. diam

eter, injections

should be

spaced every

5 in.

For trunks

>36 in.

diameter injections should be spaced every

2 in. (complete girdle).

Application Technique: 1. M

ake an incision with the hatchet at a 45

o angle that penetrates just beyond the bark and cam

bium layers (approxim

ately 2-3 in. deep) so that

it creates

an intact

trough/notch (see

figure). You may w

iden the notch by wiggling

the blade. 2. W

ith a dropper bottle, deliver the herbicide dose to the center of the incision so that all of the herbicide is retained w

ithin the trough. This is

accomplished

by slow

ly and

precisely squeezing the bottle to deliver one drop at a tim

e. Be sure that the incision is deep enough to prevent the herbicide from

overflowing at

the seam

.

Dropper calibrations

have consistently m

easured 11-12 drops per 0.5 ml,

but may vary and should be tested.

Steps to a proper injection: (i) incision using a hatchet on an angle to create a clean, intact trough;

(ii) herbicide

drops retained

and absorbed into the vascular system

of the target tree; (iii) large size tree w

ith close injection spacing. Equipm

ent and Resources:

x Hatchet/m

achete x

Drop Dispenser Bottles (1-8 fl. oz.) x

Herbicide formulation

x Tape m

easure x

GPS x

PPE: safety goggles and nitrile gloves

Managem

ent Plan: 1. This SLN

application is for natural areas only. M

ilestone® cannot be used in residential areas. 2.

Do not

exceed the

maxim

um

allowable

amount of 7 fl. oz. per acre, w

hich is equal to 414 injections (0.5 m

l each). Medium

size trees are treated w

ith 2-3 ml total, w

hich is enough for up to 200 trees per acre (~50 large trees). 3. Do not treat large trees that m

ay damage

infrastructure and block right-of-ways. Estim

ate im

pact zone to be greater than the height of the tree (see guides for m

easuring tree height). 4.

Dead standing

trees are

brittle and

dangerous to cut: if you plan to cut the trees dow

n, do not use this technique. 5. Consult w

ith a certified arborist for proper rem

oval of large trees.

CAU

TION

! Dead standing trees are hazardous to property and personal safety! Expected Results: W

arning! This technique leaves dead trees in place. Com

plete canopy defoliation can be expected w

ithin 4-6 weeks. Canopy collapse

can be

expected w

ithin 2

years and

may

continue decomposing for a decade or longer.

Retreatment of large trees m

ay be necessary if new

leaf canopy is observed 12 months after

first treatment.

28

MANAGEMENT/CONTROLPLANTEMPLATE:Thefollowingoutlinecanbeusedasabasetemplateforthedevelopmentofsitespecificorspecies-specificmanagementplans.Imagesandmapsshouldbeusedtoaddcontextandclaritytotheplan.

A. CoverPagea. Plantitleb. Nameoforganizationc. Nameofreportwriter/sd. Date

B. TableofcontentsC. StakeholderIdentification

a. Listandidentifystakeholders,landmanagers,orlandownerswhowillneedtobeinvolvedwhenconductingmanagementactions.Thisisalsotheplacetolistadditionalauthors,contributors,sponsors,etc.

D. Introduction/Backgrounda. Introduction

i. Sitedescription,location,reasonfortheplanb. Speciesprofile

i. Briefphysicaldescriptionii. Naturalrangeiii. IncludeHWPRAscoreifapplicable

c. HistoricInformationi. Dateoffirstdetection/introductionii. Geographicareaimpactedbyspecies

1. GISmapofsitesiii. Pastresponsemeasuresifany

1. GISmapsofpastcontroleffortsiv. Effects/Impactsofspecies

1. Effectsto:a. NativePlantsandanimalsb. Hydrology/Run-off/nutrientcyclingetc.c. Humanhealthd. Economy

E. Management/ControlMethodsGooverwhichmethodsofcontrolareapplicableandwillbeusedatthesite.Explainindetailthebenefitsanddrawbacksofeachapplicabletechnique,aswellasthemethodologyforapplicationorcontrol.Examplesinclude:

a. Manualremovali. Explainhowspeciescanbemanuallycontrolled

b. Chemical

29

i. Explainhowspeciescanbechemicallycontrolledc. Other

i. Othercontrolmethods(i.e.Biocontrol,sterilemale,traptype,etc.)F. SitespecificManagement/Controlplan(thissectioncanbesingularormay

includemanysites)a. Goalsandobjectivesforthesiteb. Applicablecontrolmethods

i. Explainhowtocontrolatsiteusingmanual,chemical,andothermethodsetc.

c. Timelineformanagement/controlpersitei. Besttimeorseasonformanagement/control,whenitwillbegin,anddurationofcontrolascoveredinthisplan

d. Liabilityconsiderationsi. Makesurethatyoudiligentlyconsider,list,anddefinethestepsthatyouwillbetakingtominimizeliabilityassociatedwithyourproject.

1. Signageandnotification2. Shouldinsurancebeconsideredforyourgrouporfor

communitygroups?e. Issues/problems

i. Explainknownorpotentialhindrancestotheoverallsuccessofyourproject(Outreachneeded,access,laws,etc.)

1. Addresshowtosolveissues/problemsG. Cost

a. ProjectbudgetH. CommunityInvolvement

a. Willplanrelyoncommunityinvolvement?i. Identifyanddiscusslevelofinvolvementifany

I. Measuresofsuccessa. Whatwillyoubeusingtodetermineifyourplanissuccessful?

J. ConclusionK. LiteratureSighted

a. Ifyouhadanyreferencesinyourplan,listthemhereL. Compliance

a. Basedonyourmanagementplan,arecompliancedocumentsrequiredforthefollowing?

i. HawaiʻiEnvironmentalProtectionActii. NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct

Tocreateamulti-speciesplan:

• Repeat#4-6foreachspecies• Includeallspeciescontroleffortsinbudget• Includemeasuresofsuccessforeachspecies

30

AlbiziaControlattheCommunityLevel:ACT!

TheProblem:FalcatariamoluccanawasintroducedtoHawaiiover100yearsagoandhasbeenidentifiedasoneofthemostproblematicinvasivespeciesaffectingBigIslandcommunitiestoday.Possiblythefastestgrowingtreeintheworld,albiziaformsweak,brittlewood,maturesquickly,andspreadseasilythroughwind-borneseeds.Itposesaseriousthreattobothournaturalenvironmentandourpublicsafety.Albiziaisnotoriousforitstendencytoloselarge,heavylimbsinevenmildwinds.EvenbeforeTropicalStormIselle,duringwhichdozensofpeopleweretrappedforhoursandseveralhomescrushed,theresidentsofPunahadlongdealtwiththehazardoffallingalbizia.Outbuildings,fences,andcarswereamongthecommoncasualtiesofalbizialimbs.Albiziaisproneto“suddenlimbdrop,”wherehiddenweaknessesinthelimbscancausebranchestofallevenwithnoapparentdisturbance.Thecoststotaxpayersandutilitycustomersfromalbiziaimpactsarehigh.Besidesthecostsofremovingtreesthataredirectthreats,HELCO,HDOT,andtheCountyroutinelymustdealwiththeimpactsoftreesfallingfromprivatepropertyontoroadsandpowerlines.HELCOestimatesthatitspent$13MrespondingtodamagefromIselle,andtheHawaiiIslandbranchofthestateDOTestimatesthat90%ofallreceivedcallsaboutfallentreesareforalbizia.Coststoindividualpropertyownersfromtreesfallingontoadjoiningpropertieshavenotbeencompiled,butarelikelyinthemillionsofdollars.AddressingtheProblem:CommunityEmpowermentWhilemanylegislativebillstofundacomprehensivealbiziaprogramhavebeenproposed,sofar,nonehavebeenenacted.Limitedfundinghasbeenprovidedfromvarioussources,catalyzedbytheallocationoffundsfromCountyCouncilPunarepresentativeGreggorIlagan.PunaandHiloresidentsaresteppinguptoimprovethesafetyandwellbeingoftheircommunitiesthroughcontrolofalbizia.BIISCworkswithcommunityassociations,boards,neighborhoodwatchgroups,orcommunityorganizationsthatwanttoaddressalbizia.Wewillworkwiththegroupandtheirdesignatedliaison(an“albiziacoordinator”)totrainvolunteerstoassesstreesafety,treatnon-hazardtrees,andtrackandmonitoralbizia.Thegroupwillalsoreceivesupportmaterialstouseincontactingpropertyowners,privateentities,orgovernmentagenciesforhelp.BIISCoutreachstaffwillworkwithcommunitycoordinatorstoaddressspecificissuesthatariseasvolunteersseekactiononthehazardtreesintheirneighborhoods.BIISCwillcontinuetoeducateandworkonourlegislatorsontheproblem,andtoseekpathsthroughwhichcommunitymemberscanfindassistanceforremovingthismenacefromtheirneighborhoods.

31

ACT:AlbiziaControlTeams

STEP1:PresentationandProgramOverviewThefirststepistohostaBIISCrepresentativeatyournextcommunityassociation,board,orneighborhoodwatchmeetingtodiscusstheprogramanddetermineifthisistherightdirectionforyourcommunity.Onceyourcommunityhasdecidedtomoveforwardand“ACT”,aliaisonor“albiziacoordinator”shouldbedesignated.Thisisaveryimportantrole,asthispersonwillassistinmakingarrangementsfortrainingworkshopsaswellasprovidingsupportforcommunityvolunteers.YourcoordinatorwillbethepointofcontactforBIISCandcommunityvolunteers,andwillalsohelpwithtrackingofalbiziatrees.Wesuggestthattheboardorcommunityassociationusethetemplateenclosedinthispackettodeterminewhatresponsibilitieswillfalltothecommunitycoordinator(s).STEP2:VolunteerTrainingWorkshopOncethecoordinatorisinplace,heorshewillworkwithBIISCtohostaBIISCcommunityvolunteertrainingworkshop.Outreachfortheworkshopiskey:BIISCcanprovidesomecolorflyersandwillpublicizetheeventonourwebsiteandsocialmedia,butwefindthatthebestwaytogenerateagoodturnoutisthroughneighbor-to-neighborencouragement.Onthedayoftheworkshop,volunteerswillbepresentedwiththescopeoftheprogramandencouragedto“signup”forkuleanaofaspecificarea,block,orsectionofstreet.Thealbiziacoordinatorcanfollowupaftertheworkshopwithindividualswhoexpressinterest.Asuggestedtemplateforavolunteersign-upsheetisincludedinthispacket.STEP3:VolunteerACTion!Ifrequested,BIISCwillsupplythecoordinatorwithmapsofthespecificareastakenonbyACTvolunteers.Thecoordinatorwillbeprovidedwithtemplates,helpfulinformationonlegislationregardingalbizia,andothertoolstosupporttheACTvolunteersasneeded.BIISCstaffwillalsobeavailabletoassistcoordinatorsifunusualoruncertainsituationsarise,andwillprovideongoingsupportandtrainingasneeded.STEP4:TrackingBecauseBIISCisworkinghardforlegislativeactionandgrantfunding,trackingisareallycriticalpartofourefforts.WeaskthatACTvolunteersandcoordinatorsworktogethertotrackbothtreatedtreesandhazardtreesandreportthisworktoBIISC.Atrackingsheettemplateisincludedinthispacket.

32

[DATE]

Dear[RECIPIENT],

Iamreachingouttoyouinregardstoapropertyyouownon[ADDRESS],TMKNo.__________in[SUBDIVISION]ontheBigIslandofHawaii.

I/Weareconcernedaboutaspecifichazardoustree(s)growingonyourpropertythatisposingathreatto(providespecificdescriptionofthestructure).Picturesofthetreeandstructureareenclosed.

Youmayornotbeawareofthethreatposedbythisinvasivetree,butFalcatariamoluccanaoralbiziaisoneofthefastestgrowingtreesintheworld.Thewoodisverybrittleandbranchesbreakoffeasily,causingseverepropertydamage,lossofelectricpower,andevencaraccidents.

OurcommunityisworkingtogethertoaddressthethreatofthistreeandpreventanoccurrenceofthekindofdevastationHawaiiIslandfacedintheaftermathofTropicalStormIselle.Becauseofthewidespreadrecognitionofliabilityissueofthisparticulartree,removalisnecessarytopreventasignificantdecreaseinpropertyvalue.

AlbiziahasbeenrecognizedasaseriousthreatbybothourstateandCounty.Ifapropertyownerdoesnotresolvetheproblem,theStateofHawaii,throughHRS127A-18(commonlyknownas“Act76”)isauthorizedtoenterprivatepropertytoremoveormitigatethehazard.Thecostisthenbilledtothepropertyowner.

Alistofcertifiedarboristscanbefoundathttp://alohaarborist.com/index.php/members/oahu-members/.Whencallingforquotes,keepinmindthattheremaybewaystoreducethecostofmitigation,suchashavingthetreetrimmedbackawayfromthreatenedstructures.Ifthetreemustbecompletelyremovedtomitigatethethreat,itmaybepossibletoleavetheremovedwoodinplaceonyourpropertytoreducecosts.Itisimportanttorequestthatthearboristtreatanyremainingstumpstopreventregrowth.

Thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadthisletter.Pleaseletusknowhowyouintendtohandlethishazardwithin30daysofthisnotice.

I/Wegreatlyappreciateyourresponse,

[SIGNATURE]