Strategic Plan for the Control and Management of Albizia ... · caused by hazard trees can occur...
Transcript of Strategic Plan for the Control and Management of Albizia ... · caused by hazard trees can occur...
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]