DAVID IGE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII

SHAN TSUTSUI

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

VOTING MEMBERS

SUZANNE CASE DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL

RESOURCES

SCOTT ENRIGHT HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

KEITH KAWAOKA, D.Env DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

DAVID LASSNER UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I

LEO ASUNCION OFFICE OF PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &

TOURISM

DAVID RODRIGUEZ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL 1151 PUNCHBOWL ST, #325

HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813

August 24, 2017 SUBMITTAL TO: Co-chairs and Members Hawaii Invasive Species Council State of Hawaii FROM: John-Carl Watson, Planner, & Joshua Atwood, Program Supervisor

Hawaii Invasive Species Council SUBJECT: Requesting adoption of the Strategic Plan for the Control and Management of

Albizia in Hawaii as a HISC guiding document for future policy and funding efforts

Background The Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) recognized albizia as an important invasive species in Resolution 11-2. Since then, the HISC has invested in multiple albizia control strategies, including the support of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) and their Albizia Control Teams, as well as mapping efforts, economic analyses, and initial research by the US Forest Service into the use of biological control to limit the further spread of albizia. In 2013, Senate Resolution SR41-SD1 requested that the HISC create a comprehensive plan for the control of albizia throughout the State. Attached to this submittal is a statewide strategic plan for the control and management of albizia in Hawaii. The purpose of this strategic plan is not to provide site-specific management actions but to provide large-scale objectives and a framework to minimize the impacts of albizia on the environment, human health, and infrastructure by:

• Describingstatewideimpactsofalbizia• Summarizingavailablecontrolmethods• Recommendingdirectionsforfutureresearchondetectionandcontrol

methodologies• Supportingandencouragingthedevelopmentofislandorsite-specificmanagement

plans• IdentifyingprioritiesforHISCfundingtosupportresearch,detection,andcontrol

efforts. This plan, if adopted by the HISC, could be utilized to direct future funding and collaboration efforts supported by the HISC or other entities.

Discussion Native to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, albizia (Falcataria moluccana) is a fast growing tropical tree that was introduced to Hawaii in 1917 by Joseph Rock as an ornamental plant and for reforestation purposes. This year marks the 100th anniversary of albizia's arrival to Hawaii. Based on initial imagery analysis, the plan estimates that there are roughly 20,000 acres on Oahu infested with albizia, and 43,000 acres infested in east Hawaii Island. Albizia has been evaluated by the Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment as a high risk invasive species. While albizia is widespread across Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Islands, localized control can be utilized to minimize damage to people and infrastructure. This has been demonstrated by the BIISC's Albizia Control Teams, through which BIISC has collaborated with communities, government, and utility companies to target albizia near power infrastructure, roadways, and homes. The attached strategic plan does not provide a complete guide to controlling all albizia in Hawaii. Rather, it provides the tools needed to develop site-specific plans and can serve as a guiding document for future policy and funding efforts. The plan includes a template for community groups to create site-specific management plans, suggestions for landowner or agency actions relating to albizia, suggestions for future research directions, and potential policies that could be proposed as legislation and/or administrative rules. One potential utility for this plan is to seek a legislative appropriation specific to supporting the objectives and implementation tasks described in the plan. This could function as a separate HISC Call for Proposals in future years. Legal Authority

• HRS 194-2 (a): Establishes the HISC for the purpose of cabinet-level coordination and planning among state departments, federal agencies, and international and local initiatives

• HRS 194-2 (a)(2): Advise, consult, and coordinate invasive species-related efforts with and between the departments of agriculture, land and natural resources, health, and transportation, as well as state, federal, international, and privately organized programs and policies.

Recommendations 1. That the HISC adopt the Strategic Plan for the Control and Management of Albizia in

Hawaii as a HISC guiding document for future policy and funding efforts, provided that portions of the document may be updated in the future based on new information.

Attachments:

1. Strategic Plan for the Control and Management of Albizia in Hawaii

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CONTROLANDMANAGEMENTOFALBIZIAINHAWAIʻI

HawaiʻiInvasiveSpeciesCouncil,2017

STRATEGICPLANFORTHECONTROL

ANDMANAGEMENTOFALBIZIAIN

HAWAIʻI

PrimaryAuthor:

John-Carl(JC)WatsonPlanner;HawaiiInvasiveSpeciesCouncil

Johncarl.r.watson@hawaii.gov

ContributionsandReviewby:

BigIslandInvasiveSpeciesCommittee,Josh

Atwood(HISC),RandyBartlett(HISC),Springer

Kaye(BIISC),KenPuliafico(USFS),Tracy

Johnson(USFS),JodiWatson,andJamesLeary

(UH-CTAHR)

Figure1:AlbiziaControlPhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................................2

Impacts...........................................................................................................................................................................................4

Infrastructuredamage.............................................................................................................................................................4HumanHealthHazards............................................................................................................................................................5EcologicalImpacts......................................................................................................................................................................6Cultural............................................................................................................................................................................................8Impacts:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks............................................................................................................8

ControlMethods......................................................................................................................................................................10

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

Planning.......................................................................................................................................................................................13

Site-SpecificManagementPlans........................................................................................................................................13CommunityEngagement......................................................................................................................................................14Access.............................................................................................................................................................................................15StakeholderCoordination....................................................................................................................................................16Liability.........................................................................................................................................................................................16Planning:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks.......................................................................................................16

Legislature,Policy,andFunding.......................................................................................................................................17

Legislature,Policy,andFunding:ObjectivesandImplementationTasks.......................................................17AllObjectivesandImplementationTasks....................................................................................................................19

LiteratureCited........................................................................................................................................................................22

Appendices.................................................................................................................................................................................23

2

Introduction

Albiziainfestslargeswathsofourislands.Itsrapidgrowthcrowdsoutnativespecies,its

nitrogenfixingabilitieschangenaturalecosystems,anditsbrittlewoodbreakseasily,

smashingpropertyanddestroyinglives.Despitebeingoneofthemostdetrimentalplants

inourstate,thereisnocoordinatedefforttoaddressthisinvasivespeciesonastatewide

scale.In2013,SenateResolutionSR41-SD1resolvedthattheHawaiʻiInvasiveSpecies

Council(HISC)createacomprehensiveplanforthecontrolofalbiziathroughouttheState.

Thepurposeofthisstrategicplanisnottoprovidesite-specificmanagementactionsbutto

providelarge-scaleobjectivesandaframeworktominimizetheimpactsofalbiziaonthe

environment,humanhealth,andinfrastructureby:

• Describingstatewideimpactsofalbizia

• Summarizingavailablecontrolmethods

• Recommendingdirectionsforfutureresearchondetectionandcontrol

methodologies

• Supportingandencouragingthedevelopmentofislandorsite-specificmanagement

plans

• IdentifyingprioritiesforHISCfundingtosupportresearch,detection,andcontrol

efforts

AlbiziainHawaiʻi NativetoPapuaNewGuinea,Indonesia,andtheSolomonIslands,albizia(Falcatariamoluccana)isafastgrowingtropicaltreethatwasintroducedtoHawaiʻiin1917byJosephRockasanornamentalplantandforreforestationpurposes(Elbert,etal.2003).

Approximately140,000albiziawereplantedinforestryareasthroughoutthestateduring

thenon-nativetreeforestryplantingeffortsintheearly20thcentury.Thiseffortwasprior

toourunderstandingofhownon-nativeandinvasiveplantsimpactourenvironment,and

atthetimealbiziawasvaluedforitsrapidgrowth.Albiziaisnitrogenfixingwhichallowsit

tothriveinnutrientdeficientsoilsandbecomeestablishedinrelativelyintactnative

ecosystems.Itproduceslargequantitiesofseeds,whichareencasedinlightpaperypods

andcaneasilybedispersedoverlargedistances.Albiziaisalsooneofthefastestgrowing

treesonEarth,andiscapableofgrowingupto15feetperyearandeasilyattainaheightof

over35metersor100feet(Hughes,etal.2011).Therapidgrowthrateofthisspecies

producesamassivenumberoftrunksandlimbsthatarestructurallyweakandbrittlein

nature.Largetreesareproneto“suddenlimbshear,”or“suddenbranchdrop.”This

phenomenonisdefinedasthesuddenfailureandcollapseoflivebrancheswithnosignof

physicalweakness,andwithoutapparentcause(Draper,etal.2009).Arboristscertifiedin

riskassessmentconfirmthatthenaturalstateofanalbiziaisthebrittle,breakage-prone

structureandthat,regardlessofcurrentsize,anyalbiziawithin250feetofastructure

shouldbeconsideredahazard(BIISC,2015).Theterm"hazardtrees"asdefinedinthis

strategicplanappliestotreesthatposeathreattoroads,structures,powerlines,orhuman

healthbecauseoftheircloseproximitytohumanstructures.TheHawaiʻi-PacificWeedRisk

Assessment(HPWRA)scoresalbiziaateightandiscategorizedashighlyinvasive.In2011,

3

theHISCpassedresolution11-2resultinginthesupportofdesignatingalbiziaasan

invasivespecies.SeeAppendixno.1forcompletedetails.

Fortunately,thereareaspectsofalbiziabiologythatmakelarge-scalecontroland

managementactionsfeasible.First,seedlingsareshadesensitiveandmassgermination

eventsrequirethatthecanopybeopenenoughtoallowamplelighttopenetratetothe

understorylayer(Hughes,etal.2011).Secondly,thereareavarietyofeffectivemethods

thatcanbeemployedtocontrolbothseedlingsandmaturetrees.

Onastatewidescale,thereislimitedinformationastothelocationanddistributionof

albiziapopulations.In2014,albiziapopulationsonHawaiʻiIslandweremappedbyJulie

Gartnerusingguidedclassificationof8-bandWorldView2imagery.Infestedareaswere

confirmedusingPictometry(high-resolutionimagery)androadsidesurveys.Inaddition,a

basicanalysisofinfestedacresusingaerialimagerywasperformedforOʻahuforusewithin

thisstrategicplan.

Polygonswerecreated

anddepictareasthat

haveadominantalbizia

canopy.Itshouldbe

notedthattheimagery

usedtocreatethe

coveragemapwasfrom

2012,andthat

additionalanalyseswith

morerecentimagery

mayassistin

implementationof

specificcontrolprojects.

Duetothisconstraint,

themapshouldbe

consideredtodepictthe

minimumacresof

albiziacoverageonthe

specificisland.Dueto

therapidgrowthrateof

albizia,itispossiblethatpopulationsoftreesreachingheightsupto75feetin2017were

notyetdetectableusingimageryfrom2012.

AcresinfestedonOahu:~20,000acres

AcresInfestedinEastHawaiiIsland:~43,000acres

HawaiʻiPacificWeedRiskAssessmentscore:8,HIGHRISKINVASIVE

Figure2:HeavilyinfestedareasonO’ahuwithdominantalbiziacanopy.ImageprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

4

Impacts

TheimpactsofalbiziaarewidelyknownbutwereemphasizedbyTropicalStormIsellein

2014,whenhundredsofHawaiʻiIslandresidentswerestrandedfordayswiththeirroads

blockedandwithoutpowerformonthsduetodownedalbiziatrees.HawaiʻiElectricLight

Company(HELCO)estimatesthatit

spent$13.7Mrespondingtodamage

fromIselle,andtheHawaiiIsland

branchofHawaiʻiDepartmentof

Transportation(HDOT)estimatesthat

90%ofallreceivedcallsaboutfallen

treesforthepastseveralyearshave

involvedalbiziatrees(BIISC,2015).

However,HawaiʻiIslandisnottheonly

islandwherealbizia-relatedhazards

threatenresidents.Standsoflarge

albiziacanbefoundonallofthemain

HawaiianIslandsexceptforNiʻihau,

Molokaʻi,andKahoʻolawe.

Thereisagreatneedtofullyquantify

themonetarycostofpotentialdamages

fromalbizia.TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA)requiresthatanalysis

studiesbeconductedasarequisitetoapplyforfederalmoniesorFEMAgrants.An

economicstudyneedstobeconductedtoassessandmeasurethefinancialimpactofalbizia

inHawaiʻi.Thefollowingsectionsoutlinethevarioussectorsthatarenegativelyimpacted

byalbizia.InFY17,HISCfundedaprojectthroughtheUniversityofHawaiʻitobegin

analysisoftheeconomicimpactsofalbiziatoHawaiʻi,aswellasmappopulation

distributionsonOʻahuandKauaʻiusinghigh-resolutionimagery.

Infrastructuredamage

Oftentheresultoffallentreesorbranches,oneofthemainimpactsofalbiziaisdamageto

infrastructure.BelowisalistofthecommontypesofdamagetoinfrastructureinHawaiʻi

causedbyalbizia.

Roads/accesswaysAlbiziareadilysproutandgrowalongroadsides.Duetotherapidgrowthhabitofthis

species,treescanbecomehazardoustoroadswithinafewyears.Fallentreesandbranches

caneasilyblockroadsmakingthemimpassableforemergencyresponsepersonnel,

motorists,andresidents.Oncefallentreesand/orbranchesblockaroad,manualremoval

istheonlymethodthatcanbeusedtocleardebrisandrestoreaccess.Asalbiziaareprolific

seedproducers,maturetreesgrowingadjacenttoroadsideright-of-ways(ROW)actasa

seedsourceandallowforperpetualreinfestation.Thisresultsintheneedforcontinualand

constantmaintenance.Largehazardtreesmayrequirecarefulremovalbyacertified

Figure3:Propertydamagecausedbyfallenalbiziabranches.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC.

5

arborist,drasticallyincreasingthecostforremoval.HDOTreportedlyspent$1millionper

miletoremove1,000albiziatreesontheislandofKauaʻi,withtheremovalofonelarge

treecostingasmuchas$10,000.Atotherlocationsstatewide,alonganestimated50miles

ofroad,thealbiziatreepopulationismaturingandreachinghighdensitieswhereitwill

poseasignificantsafetyrisktohighwayusers–potentiallyimposing$50millionin

managementcosts(HDOT2011). Transmission/telephonelinesAlbiziareadilysproutandgrow

alonglineinfrastructureright-

of-ways.Duetotherapid

growthhabitofthisspecies,

treesoftenattainaheight

capableofinterferingwith

powerandtelephone

infrastructurewithinaperiod

ofafewyears.Treesgrowing

alongright-of-waysposea

seriousthreattothelines.

Largebranchesarecapableof

damaginganddowningboth

transmissionandtelephone

lines.Sincealbiziaareprolific

seedproducers,maturetrees

growingadjacenttotransmissionlineright-of-waysactasaseedsourceandallowfor

perpetualreinfestationoftheright-of-way.Theresultistheneedforcontinualand

constantmaintenance.BuildingsandpropertyAlbiziaoftenshedbranchesthatcancausedamagetoanystructuresorpersonalproperty

(i.e.vehicles)locatedbeneaththem.Duetothelargesizetowhichalbiziacangrow,damage

causedbyhazardtreescanoccurfromadjacentproperties,naturallands,orrightofways.

StreamcloggingInhighrainevents,fallentreesandbranchescanblockstreamsatconstrictionpoints,

resultingindebrisaccumulationandflooding.In2004,heavyrainsandalbiziadebris

contributedtothefloodingofMānoastream.Thisfloodeventimpactedresidents,utilities,

andtheUniversityofHawaiʻiatMānoa.Anestimated$85millionindamagewascausedby

thissingleevent(HonoluluAdvertiser,2007).

HumanHealthHazardsFallingbranchesandtreesposeaseriousthreattohumanhealth.Duetotheextreme

heightachievedbysomealbizia,bothlargeandsmallbranchescancausesevereinjuryor

Figure4:Albiziatreesencroachingonpowerlines.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC.

6

deathwhendropped.Fallenbranchescanblockroadsandlimitaccesstoemergency

services.Therehavebeenmultiplerecordedalbiziarelatedfatalitiesandinjuriesin

Hawaiʻi.ManyofHawaiʻi’spopularhikingtrailsleadthroughalbiziainfestedareas.Hazard

treesinproximitytoareasoffrequentuseexposebothresidentsandvisitorstorisk.

EcologicalImpacts

NativeForestsTheprocessofalbizia

becomingestablishedina

nativeforestsetsoffa

seriesofeventsthatin

timewilldrastically

reducenativebiodiversity

andpromotethesuccess

ofnon-nativespecies.The

negativeeffectsofalbizia

areespeciallypronounced

inforeststhathave

alreadybeeninvadedby

non-nativespeciessuchas

strawberryguava(Psidiumcattleianum).Typicallyseedlingsbecome

establishedinnewareas

followingadisturbanceeventsuchasroadconstruction,alandslide,orahurricane.Once

established,seedlingswillrapidlyincreaseinheightandquicklyovertopthesurrounding

trees.Havingreachedthecanopy,thegrowthformwillbegintochangefromaformwith

singleapicaldominancetoadenseexpandingcanopy.Thislargespreadingcanopy

effectivelyblocksthesunlightandsuppressesgrowthofthetreesbeneath.Asidefrom

suppressingthegrowthofotherplants,albiziahasbeenshownthechangenutrientlevels

insoils(Hughes,etal.2006).Albiziaarehighlyeffectiveatfixingnitrogen,atraitthat

facilitatesitsrapidgrowth.Thischangehasadirectimpactonnativeplants,sinceHawaiʻi’s

volcanicsoilsarenaturallynutrientdeficientandtheplantsthatevolvedherehaveadapted

tothrivewithoutrequiringlargeamountsofnitrogen.Theimpactsofgreatlyincreasingthe

nitrogeninputsfromalbiziaintheformofleaflitterhavebeenshowntoprofoundly

transforminvadedforests(Hughes,etal.2006).Thisnitrogen“boost”facilitatesinvasion

byweedsadaptedtohighnitrogenlevelswhilesimultaneouslysuppressingnativeplant

species.Theincreaseofnon-nativeplantspeciesanddecreaseofnativeplantspeciesalso

reducestheavailabilityofqualityhabitatfornativeanimals.Thecumulativeimpactsof

albiziapopulationshavelong-termdetrimentalconsequencesforHawaiianecosystemsasa

whole.

Figure5:AlbiziawithinnativedominatedforestonHawaiʻiIsland.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofESRI

7

Water/HydrologyImpactsTherearenoformaldataregardingevapotranspirationratesorhydrologicalimpacts,

thoughthehighgrowthrateofalbiziamayindicatesubstantialwateruse.Inaddition,the

nitrogenfixingpropertiesofalbiziahavebeenshowntoprovidenutrientstootherinvasive

speciessuchasstrawberryguava(Psidiumcattleianum)(Hughes,etal.2006).Thehydrologicalimpactsofstrawberryguavahavebeenresearched,andshowthatstands

dominatedwiththisspecieshavealowerground-waterrechargerateandahigher

evapotranspirationratethannativeforests(Giambelluca,etal.2008).Surfacewater

impactscausedbyalbizia

populationsinclude

clogging,bank

destabilization,and

streamdiversion.Debris

andfallentreescancause

blockagesandincrease

theriskoffloodingduring

highrainevents.The

shallowrootednatureof

albiziagrowingalong

streamsallowsforthe

banktobecomeundercut,

eventuallyresultinginthe

topplingofthetreeand

destabilizationofthe

bankitself.

Agriculture

TheimpactsofalbiziaontheagriculturalindustryinHawaiʻihavebeenlargelyunstudied.

However,ifthegrowthrates,costofremoval,andinvasivenatureofthisspeciesaretaken

intoconsideration,itispossibletogetageneralunderstandingofthenegativepressures

thatalbiziaplacesonagriculturalactivities.

FarmingAlbiziainfestationseffectbothcommercialandsubsistencefarming.Largetreesadjacentto

agriculturalpropertiespresentahazardforworkersandinfrastructure,havethepotential

toshadeoutcrops,andsupplyalargeamountofseedsthatcangerminateincultivated

areas.Thepracticeofcroprotationandallowinglandstositfallowisastandardpractice

followedbymanyagriculturalbusinesses.Thoughtheactofleavingasectionoflandtorest

ishighlybeneficialandakeyfacettosustainableagriculture,italsopresentsan

opportunityforalbiziaseedlingstobecomeestablished.Dependingonthelengthoftimea

plotoflandisallowedtositwithoutcultivation,seedlingscanoutgrowthefarmers’ability

tosimplyplowthemover.Thisresultsinaremovalcostforthefarmer.Intheeventthat

Figure6:AlbiziatreesgrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridoronOʻahu.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

8

largeplotsoflandareleftfallowformanyyears,albiziatreescanachieveasizeanddensity

thatiscost-prohibitivetobringingtheparcelbackintocultivation.

ForestryTimberplantingsinHawaiʻirelyonthehealthandgrowthofcommercialhardwood

species.AlbiziahasbeenplantedasanitrogensourceinseveralEucalyptusplantingsin

Hawaiʻiandisconsideredbeneficialinsomesituations.However,ifplantingsarenot

managedinaneffectivemanner,plantedalbiziawillnegativelyimpactthesitebyrapidly

overtoppingandoutgrowingthecommercialtreespecies.Thepresenceoflargemature

albiziatreeswithinatimberplantingalsoincreasesthecostduringharvest.Insomecases,

albiziatreepopulationswithinactivetimberproductionsitesmakethecostofharvest

prohibitivelyhigh,resultinginabandonmentoftheprojectandasubstantiallossof

investmentforthetimberproducer.

Cultural

Theimpactofalbiziaonculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanesissignificant.Manyview

planesthroughoutthestatehavebeenchangedtothepointwherehistoricvistas,

geologicallandmarks,andculturalsightsarenolongervisibleorrecognizable.Thistypeof

impactisdifficulttoquantify,asthevalueoftheseresourcesaresubjectiveandchanges

happengraduallyovertime.Inadditiontoviewplaneobstruction,largetreescontributetothedegradationofunmanagedculturalsitesastreesandrootscancauseirreparable

damagebydestroyingwallsandagriculturalterraces.

Figure2:ViewplaneobstructionatWailukuRiverStatePark(RainbowFalls)onHawaiʻiIsland.Notethelonealbiziatreeinthephotofromtheearly1980sontheleft.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC

Impacts:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksI1:Assesspopulationsizeandfootprintofalbiziaonastatewidescale

I1.1:CompletemappingofalbiziapopulationsusingPictometryorotherhighaccuracytechniquestocreate

statewidemaps

I2:Assessenvironmentalimpacts I2.2:ResearchhydrologicalimpactsI.2.2:Createadistributionmodeltoassessthepotentialhabitatsuitableforalbiziainfestation

9

I2.4:Performhazardanalysisbasedoncurrentfootprintanddistributionmodel

I2.5:Performtreeriskassessmentsofalbizialocatedalongtrailsandareasofuse

I3:Protectionofprioritywatershedandwildlifehabitat

I3.1:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziatreesinprioritywatershedareasasidentifiedbytheDivision

ofForestryandWildlife'sprioritywatershedmap

I3.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziafromnativedominantforests,areasofhighecologicalvalue,and

forestscontainingthreatenedorendangeredspecies

I4:Mitigatehazardstoincreasewaterqualityandreduceflooding

I4.1:Establishstreampilotprogramtoremovealbiziaalongstreamcorridors

I4.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziagrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridors

I4.3:Performtreeriskassessmentsforalbiziatreeslocatedwithinstreamcorridors

I5:Assesstheeconomicimpactofalbizia

I5.1:Performaneconomicanalysisoftheimpactsofalbiziaandassociatedcosts

I6:Establishsustainablesecondaryandalternativeusesforremovedmaterials

I6.1:Exploresustainablealternativeusesformaterialsgeneratedbyalbiziaremovalprojects

I7:Protectvaluablepublicinfrastructurefromalbiziadamage

I7.1:Developacomprehensivelistofpublicinfrastructurepiecesimpactedbyalbizia

I7.2:Standardroadsidesurveysandcontrolofseedlings

I7.3:Standardutilitycorridorsurveysandcontrolofseedlings

I7.4:Removalofallhazardtreesaffectingpublicinfrastructurestatewideandcreatebufferzonesof

treatedtrees

I7.5:Assesshazardtrees,costoftreatmentforalbizianearpublicschoolsanduniversities

I8:Protectprivateinfrastructurefromalbiziadamagefromtreeslocatedon

statelands

I8.1:Solicitrequestsfromprivatelandownersabuttingstatelandsforpotentialremovalofhazardtrees,in

ordertogenerateacostandresourceestimatefor

removal

I8.2:Oncefundinghasbeensecured,(seeL4.8)removehazardalbizialocatednearprivatelandsand

createbufferzonesoftreatedtrees

I9:Maintainculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanes

I9.1:Assessimpactstohistoricproperties,culturalsites,andviewplanes

I9.2:Removalortreatmentoftreesimpactinghistoricproperties,culturalsites,andhistoricviewplanes

I9.3:Developstandardpracticesforremovalfromhistoricsiteswithminimalimpact.

10

ControlMethodsPhysicalControl

Physicalremovalofhazardtreesrequiresspecialequipmentandknowledgeandmustbe

performedbyexperiencedandcertifiedarborists.Theremovalordisposaloffelled

materialsisalsoanimportantaspecttoconsiderwhenutilizingthismethod.

CompleteRemovalCompleteremovalrequiresthehighestlevelofeffortwhenusinganyofthephysical

removalmethodsforlargetrees.Itentailsthecompletefellingofthetreeandthecomplete

removalofallfelledmaterialsfromthesite.Thismethodistypicallyusedinurban

environments,wherethereisinsufficientspaceformaterialstobeleftinplaceto

decompose.Thismethodalsoresultsinthehighestamountofcostpertree,asitoften

encompassesthetotalcostofthefelling,removal,anddisposal.Thoughthismethodis

expensiveandlaborintensiveforlargetrees,itiscost-effectivefornewlysprouted

seedlings.Theseedlingsareshallowrootedandcanbeeasilyhand-pulleduntiltheyhave

attainedaheightoffivefeet.Seedlingscaneasilybebaggedandremovedfromasite.

HardTrimmingInmanycases,undertheguidanceofacertifiedarborist,hazardtreescanbegivena“hard

trim”,wherebylimbsandbranchesthatextendtowardsinfrastructurearecutto:1)

eliminatethepossibilitythattheywouldfallon

suchinfrastructure,and2)counterbalancethe

treesothatitishighlylikelytofallawayfrom

saidinfrastructure.Followinga“hardtrim,”the

treemaybekilledwithherbicideandallowedto

fallapartsafely.This“hardtrim”approachcan

bedoneatafractionofthecostthatitwould

taketocompletelycutdownagiventree.To

furtherreducecost,felledmaterialscanbeleft

onsiteifthelandowneriswillingtoallowthe

treetodecomposeinsitu.

Ring-BarkingThiscontrolmethodentailsthecomplete

removaloftheinnerandoutercambiumlayers

fromaroundtheentirecircumferenceofthetree.

Commontoolsusedtostripthebarkfromthe

treeincludehandtoolssuchasamachete,bark

spudordrawblade.First,incisionsaremade

aroundthebaseofthetargettreeatsoillevel.

Figure8:Ring-barkedtreeinSāmoa.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

11

Thebarkisthenstrippedfromthesoilupthetrunk(approx.fourtosixfeet).This

techniqueisfairlylowcostandcanbeusedbyvirtuallyanyone.Resultsarehighlyeffective

withdefoliationoccurringbetweensixmonthstooneyear,anddeathofthetreeeventually

following.(Hughes,etal.2012).Thismethodshouldnotbeusedonhazardtrees,astreated

treesarelefttodieinplaceandposearisktosurroundinginfrastructure.

GirdlingThismethodisfundamentallythesameasthering-barkingtechnique,andentailsthe

completeremovalofabandoftheinnerandoutercambiumlayersapproximatelysix

inchestoonefootwidefromaroundtheentirecircumferenceofthetree.Commontools

usedtostripthebarkfromthetreeincludehandtoolssuchasamachete,hatchet,or

handsaw.Typicalresultsincludedefoliationwithinoneyearfollowedbytreedeath.For

fasterresults,herbicidescanbeusedinconjunctionwiththismethod,andareappliedto

thesiteofbarkremoval.Thismethodisfairlylaborintensivewhencomparedtoother

chemicaltreatmentoptionsasdiscussedinthefollowingsection.Asbothgirdlingandring-

barkingmethodsdonotrequiretheuseofherbicide,repeattreatmentsmaybenecessary.

Inaddition,thismethodshouldnotbeusedonhazardtrees,astreatedtreesarelefttodie

inplaceandposearisktosurroundinginfrastructure.

ChemicalTreatmentUsingchemicalcontroltotreatalbiziaishighlyeffectiveandrequiresverysmallamounts

ofherbicide.Therearenumeroustechniquesthatcanbeutilizedwhentreatingalbiziawith

achemicalapplication.Choosingthecorrectmethodorcombinationofmethodsand

pairingthemwithsite-specificstrategiesiskeytothesuccessofanyalbiziacontrolproject.

IncisionPointApplication(IPA)IPAisanefficienttechniqueforadministeringalethaldoseofherbicidedirectlyintothe

vascularsystemofwoodyspecies.Thismethodcanbeusedasastand-alonetreatmentor

incombinationwithhardtrimming.Itshouldnotbeusedforhazardtrees,astreatedtrees

areleftinplaceandshedbranchesasthetreedies.Canopydefoliationcanbeexpected

withintwotosixweeksandcanopycollapsewithintwoyears(Hughes,etal.2017).Trunks

mayremainstandingforuptothreeyearsandfallentreeswillcontinuetodecomposefor

decadesorlonger.Specificationsfortreatmentincludetheinjectionofa0.5mldoseof

undilutedMilestone® herbicideintoequidistanthatchetincisions(Leary,etal.2011).CompleteinstructioncanbefoundinAppendixno.2.Herbicidecostspertreeassociated

withthismethodcanbecalculatedbymultiplyingthecostpermilliliterbythenumberof

0.5mldosespertree.Forexample:ThecurrentcostofMilestone®/doseis$0.05.Atree

thatisapproximately24inchesindiameterwillrequireapproximately15incisions.

($0.05*15=$0.75).Theherbicidecostforthistreewillbeapproximately$0.75.Itshouldbe

notedthatthemajorityofcostassociatedwithtreatmentwillbefromlabor;bothinthe

formofcosttotreat(timeittakestoadministertreatmentpertree)andtimetoaccess

(timeittakestoaccessthetrees).Thesecostswillvarybyprojectsite,aseachwillhave

differinglevelsofaccessibilityandtreedensities.

12

Cut-StumpThecut-stumpmethodiswidelyused,

andiseffectiveonavarietyofdifferent

species.Thismethodentailsfellingthe

targettreeandtreatingtheremaining

stumpwithaconcentrateddoseof

herbicide.Typicalherbicidesusedfor

cut-stumpapplicationincludeGarlon

4®,Garlon4Ultra®,orGarlon3A®(activeingredient:Tryclopyr)at20%-

100%concentration.

FoliarSprayTheFoliarspraymethodentails

applyingaliquidherbicidesolution

directlytotheleavesofatargetplant

species.Thiscontrolmethodisnotan

effectivemeansofcontrollingalbiziaoncetheyhavesurpassedtheseedlingstage,butcan

beahighlyeffectiveandefficientmeansofcontrollingthedensematsofseedlingsthat

resultfromamassgerminationevent.Theuseoffoliarapplicationmethodsonlargetrees

isnotconsideredtobelogisticallyfeasibleduetotheneedforhelicopters,customspray

equipment,largequantitiesofherbicides,andnon-targetimpacts.Foliarapplicationis

typicallyappliedwiththeuseofhand,backpack,orvehicle-mountedsprayers.

BiologicalControl

Biologicalcontrolinvolvesusinghost-specificlivingorganismssuchasinsects,fungi,plant

pathogens,etc.tosuppressaweedinfestation.Theuseofbiologicalcontrolagentsisoften

theonlyfeasiblemethodofpermanentlyreducinginfestationswhenfacedwithlarge,long-

establishedinvasivespeciespopulations.Biologicalcontrolresearchisalengthyprocess

thattypicallyincludesexploratoryresearchinthenativerangeofthetargetspeciesto

searchforpotentialagents,host-specificitytestingtoensurepotentialagentsdonothave

significantnon-targetimpacts,andareviewandpermittingprocessthroughtheUnited

StatesDepartmentofAgricultureAnimalPlantHealthInspectionServicePlantProtection

Quarantine(USDAAPHISPPQ)andHawaiʻiDepartmentofAgriculture(HDOA).Final

approvalforthefieldreleaseofthecontrolagentmayalsorequirepublicconsultationand

disclosurepursuanttotheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)andHawaiʻi

EnvironmentalPolicyAct(HEPA).

Foralbizia,biologicalcontrolagentswouldideallytargetreproductivecapacityand/or

attacktreesonlyinearlystagesofgrowth.Cautionshouldbetakentoavoidintroducinga

biologicalcontrolagentthatcouldweakenorkilladulthazardtrees,asthiscouldpose

additionalriskstopeopleandinfrastructure.However,defoliationofadulttreesby

biologicalcontrolagentscangreatlyreducetheeffectofwindonthesetreesthereby

Figure9:ControlusingtheIncisionPointApplicationcontrolmethod.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofBIISC

13

loweringtheriskofsuddenlimbdropwhileslowingtreegrowth.

ThroughaHISC-fundedproposal,theInstituteofPacificIslandsForestry,Pacific-Southwest

ResearchStation,USDAForestServicebeganexplorationforpotentialcontrolagentsof

albiziain2015.HISCfundedadditionalresearchin2016and2018toconductadditional

foreignexplorationandbeginhost-specificitytesting.Tobringpopulationsofalbiziadown

tomanageablelevelsinHawaiʻi,futureandcontinuedbiologicalcontrolresearchis

necessaryuntilasuiteofsuccessfulagentshavebeenreleased.

FutureTechnologies

Thepotentialforcurrentlyunknowntechnologiesrelatingtothemanagementofinvasive

speciesmayprovetobesignificant.Asnewtechnologiesareresearchedandbecome

available,potentialuseasameansofcontrollingalbiziashouldbeconsidered.Some

examplesmayinclude:

• Gene-drive

• Geneticallymodifiedcontrolagents

• Unmannedaerialsystems

ControlMethods:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksM1:Establishnewandeffectivebiologicalcontrolsforalbizia

M1.1:ContinuedbiocontrolresearchM1.2:Releaseofalbizia-specificbiocontrolagents

M2:Establishadditionalchemicalandphysicalremovaltechniquesoroptions

M2.1:Researchadditionalfoliar,systemic,andpre-emergentcontroloptions

M2.2:Researchimprovedphysicalremovalortreatmentoptions

M3:Establishimprovedtechnologiesforthecontrolofalbizia

M3.1:Researchoffuturetechnologiesandmethodssuchasgenetictechniques,deploymentmethods,etc.

Planning

Site-SpecificManagementPlans

Whilethisstrategicplanidentifiesstatewiderecommendationsforadvancingdetection

andcontrolofalbizia,eachisland(orsitewithinanisland)willpresentitsownspecific

suiteofchallengesandshoulddevelopaspecificmanagementandcontrolstrategy.

ThroughpartnershipsbetweenHawaiʻiDepartmentofTransportation(HDOT),Hawaiʻi

ElectricLightCompany(HELCO),HawaiʻiCounty,theUSForestService,andtheBigIsland

InvasiveSpeciesCommittee(BIISC),HawaiʻiIslandhasbecometheforerunnerwith

regardstoalbiziamanagementandcontrolonalandscapescale.Withateamdedicatedto

albiziaremovalandstandardizedcommunityworkshops,theactionsofBIISCcanbeused

asamodelforhowtobeginon-the-groundalbiziamanagementactions.

14

Templateforsite-specificcontrolplansTofacilitatethecreationofsite-specificmanagementactions,aplantemplatehasbeen

developed.SeeAppendixno.3formanagementplantemplate.Site-specificmanagement

plansprovidedetailedgoal-orientedcontrolstrategiestoaddresstheuniqueneedsand

challengesassociatedwithagivenmanagementsite.

CommunityEngagement

Communityengagement,

empowerment,andparticipation

areallcriticalcomponentsofa

robustanddiversemanagement

strategy.Engagementoflocal

communityleaders,information

sharing,andcollaborative

planningarehighlyeffective

meansofdisseminating

informationintoacommunity.

Adaptableisland-basedor

community-specificplansshould

bedevelopedtoallowfor

maximumcommunity

involvement,management,and

control.Whenbeginning

communityengagementprojects,

pilotcommunitieswithahigh

likelihoodofsuccessshouldbetargetedfirst.Bysuccessfullyattainingmanagementwithin

atargetcommunity,apositivetrackrecordcanbeestablished,thusmakingiteasierto

moveforwardandengageothermorechallengingcommunities.

TheBIISCAlbiziaControlTeamsor“AlbiziaAssassin”programprovidesagoodexampleof

thestepsthatcanbetakentocreatecommunitycontrolteams.Stepsinclude:

• Hostinganinvasivespeciesmanagementorganizationrepresentativeata

communityeventsuchasaneighborhoodboardorassociationmeetingtopresent

aboutalbiziaanddiscussthepotentialprogram.

• Establishingacommunityliaisonoralbiziacoordinator.Thispersonassistsin

settinguptrainingworkshopsandisthepointofcontactforthemanagement

organizationandvolunteers.

• Holdingatrainingworkshoptoengagecommunitymembersandprovidetraining

onhazardtreeidentification,treatmentmethods,andprotectiveequipment.These

workshopsareoftenpairedwithacommunityworkday.

• Trackingprogress.Trackingandreportingbothtreatedtreesanduntreatedhazard

treesnotonlyprovidesaclearmeasureofprogramimpactandengagement,but

alsohelpsmanagementorganizationsprovidesupportwhenneeded.

Figure10:Albiziagrowinginvacantlotsposeathreattoadjacentproperties.PhotoprovidedcourtesyofJCWatson

15

Additionalinformationonhowtosetupacommunitycontrolteamcanbefoundonthe

BIISCwebsiteat:http://www.biisc.org/neighborhood-albizia-control-teamsorin

Appendixno.4.

Access

WillingLandownersCooperativeplanningwithlandownersandobtainingpermissionforaccesswillbe

necessaryforallsurveyandcontroloperations.Giventhevarietyofdifferentchemicaland

physicalmethodsavailableforalbiziamanagement,itisimportanttoaccommodatea

landowner'spreferredmanagementorcontroltechnique.

ResistantorUnresponsiveLandownersIntheeventthatalandowneriseitherresistantorunresponsive,projectmanagersmust

evaluatewhetherlong-termprojectsuccessrequirestreatmentofthelandowner's

property,andwhetherthebenefitsofprojectsuccessoutweighthecosts(financialand

otherwise)ofpursuinglegalactiontogainentrytotheproperty.Therearemultiple

provisionsinstatelawtogainaccesstoprivatepropertyforcontrolofalbizia,butthese

shouldbeusedasalastresort,onlywhenaccessisdeniedandtreatingthepropertyin

questioniscrucialtoprotectingpublicsafetyandresourcesatlarge.

HawaiʻiRevisedStatutes(HRS)127A-18givestheGovernortheauthoritytoauthorize

accesstoprivatepropertytocut,trim,orremovedangeroustreesorbranchesthatposea

hazardtootherproperties.TheGovernormayalsoputalienonthetreeowner’sproperty

untilthecostofremovalisreimbursedtothestate(127A-18).Therearecurrentlyno

designatedfundingmechanismsfortheStatetoperformmitigationeffortsrelatingto

albizia.

SimilartoHRS127A-18,theHawaiʻiCountyCodechapter20,article2providesanavenue

forthepublictoreportcomplaintsrelatingtounsafefloraandgivesthecountyauthorityto

accessprivatepropertytocut,trim,orremovedangeroustreesorbranchesthatposea

hazardtootherproperties.Asdefinedinthisordinance,“Unsafeflora”meansanyorany

partofatree,bush,vine,orgrassthatposesanimminentdangerforfire,health,safety,

propertydamage,orcriminalthreattopersonsoradjacentpropertyandstructures

includingbuildings,roofs,raingutters,antennae,driveways,landscaping,privacy

structures(includinggates,fencing,andstonewalls),tents,garages,automobiles,power

lines,phonelines,playgroundequipment,watercatchmenttanks,swimmingpools,orany

otherstructuresandproperty(2016CC,c20,art2,sec20-1).

RecentpassageofHouseBill606(2017)furtherdelegatesauthorityheldbythe

DepartmentofAgriculturetotheCountiesandtheiragents,toenterprivatepropertyto

addressaninvasivespecies.Oncesignedintolaw,implementationwillbeinthehandsof

thecounties.Itwillbeusefultomonitortheprogressanddifferentapproachestakenin

eachcountytobenefitthepublicthroughthisact.

16

Toassistwithmakingcontactandbeginningthenotificationprocess,samplelettersto

unresponsivelandownershavebeendevelopedbyBIISC.SeeAppendixno.5forsample

letters.

StakeholderCoordination

Forgingpositiverelationshipsbetweenstateagencies,federalagencies,legislatures,

communitygroups,researchers,industryprofessionals,andlandownerswillbecrucialto

thesuccessofanylarge-scalemanagementactivitiesrequiredtocontrolalbiziaona

statewidescale.Potentialstakeholdersinclude:utilitycompanies,stateagencies,

neighborhoodboards,privatelandowners,communityassociations,watershed

partnerships,etc.

Liability

Albiziatreespresentauniquesituationintermsofliabilityfordamagecausedbyfalling

treesorbranches.Determiningliabilitydependsonmanyfactors.Somefactorsmaybe

basedonifthetreeislocatedonprivateorpubliclands,whetherornotthetreehasbeen

identifiedandreportedasahazard,whetherornotthetreehasbeentreated,andwhether

ornotwarningsignagehasbeenposted.Dependingonthecircumstances,liabilityforcosts

ofdamageassociatedwithfallingtreesortreelimbsmaybeassignedtotheownerofthe

landwherethetreeresides,theindividualwhotreatedthetree,ortothe

organization/agencyresponsibleformanagementactions.Toreduceliability,itishighly

recommendedthatsignagebeutilizedwheneverpossible.SignshouldcomplywithHawaii

AdministrativeRules13-8(Act82)andwiththeAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute

(ANSI).Tofurtherreduceliabilityandminimizeriskofdamagecausedbymanagement

actions,communityengagementandnotificationshouldbeconsidered.Insomeinstances,

anenvironmentalassessmentorenvironmentalimpactstatementmayberequired.

Planning:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksP1:Supportcreationofdetailedactionplans

P1.1:Creationofdetailedislandspecificorsitespecificmanagementplansand/orhazardmitigationplansfor

Kauaʻi,Oʻahu,Molokaʻi,Maui,Lanaʻi,andHawaiʻi

P1.2:Createalbizia-specificbiocontrolplanP2:Empowerthecommunitytotakeaction

P2.1:DevelopmentofislandbasedoutreachplansP2.2:CreatealbiziacontrolteamsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

P2.3:Engageneighborhoodboards,communityassociations,etc.inalbiziaimpactedareas

P3:Engagelandownersandotherstakeholders

P3.1:Reachouttoalllargelandownerswithalbiziapopulations

P3.2:Exploretreatmentandremovaloptionsonprivatelands

P3.3:CreationofaninteragencyAlbiziaControlWorkingGroup

17

Legislature,Policy,andFunding

Thesuccessfulcontrolofapreviouslyunmanagedinvasivespecieswillrequireahigh

degreeofsupportfrompolicyandlawmakers.Havingalegislativebodythatiswillingto

makelong-termcommitmentswillbeparamounttothesuccessfulmanagementofalbizia

inHawaiʻi.Directengagementandoutreachwillalsobeacriticalfacetwhenattemptingto

gainsupportinthelegislature.Legislativeactionssuchasincentivesorfunding

appropriationswillhaveadirecteffectduringtheearlystagesofstatewidealbizia

managementactions,andwillserveasafoundationforfuturemanagementactions.Long-

termlegislativeactionssuchasimprovedregulations,aprohibitiononplanting,real-estate

disclosureclauses,etc.,willprovidealastingstructuretofurtherreduceimpactsfrom

albiziatothepeopleofHawaiʻi.In-kindfundingorvolunteereffortswilllikelyplayalarge

rolewhenengagingcommunitiesandcreatingAlbiziaControlTeams.Inadditionto

supportivestatutorypoliciesfromtheLegislature,thereisalsoaneedforthecreationof

administrativerulesandbestmanagementpracticesforagencies,partners,andthegeneral

publicformanagingalbiziainaneffectivemanner.Thepurposeofstandardizedbest

managementpracticesistoprovideguidanceastowhenmanagementactionsshouldbe

taken,thetimeframeforremovalactivities,andwhichmethodoftreatmenttouse.

Legislature,Policy,andFunding:ObjectivesandImplementationTasksL1:Createpoliciesthatsupportalbiziacontrolandmanagement

L1.1:Prohibitfutureplantingofalbizia(FalcatariamoluccanaandAlbiziachinensis)L1.2:OfficiallydesignatealbiziaasaHISCpriorityspecies/invasivespecies

L1.3:OfficiallydesignateAlbiziaasanoxiousweedL2:Establishbestmanagementpractices

L2.2:Establishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforagencies

L2.3:Establishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforgovernmentcontractors

L2.4:Establishguidelinesforbestmanagementpracticesforthepublic

L2.5:Establishroadright-of-wayseedlingcontrolprotocols

L2.6:Establishminimumcriteriaforlong-termmaintenanceofhighwayROWand150footbuffersin

environmentaldocumentsforhighwaydevelopment

projectsincludingnewconstructionaswellasroad

widening(e.g.Albiziafreefortenyearspost

construction)

L3:CreateincentivestoassistlandownerswithAlbiziacontrolandto

mitigatehazardtreeremoval

L3.1:Taxcreditorotherincentivesforremovalofhazardtreesonprivateproperty

18

L3.2:Exploreopportunitiestoestablishacost-sharingorsubsidyprograms

L3.3:Realestatedisclosuresforpropertieswithlargealbiziaand/orhazardalbiziaonneighboringproperty

L4:Increasefundingforstatewidealbiziamanagementefforts

L4.1:FundingforhazardtreeremovalpursuanttoHRS127A-18

L4.2:FundingforAlbiziaspecificbiocontrolresearchL4.3:FundingforhazardtreesinpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

L4.4:FundingforCommunitybasedcontrolpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

L4.5:FundingforcontinuedearlydetectioneffortsonMolokaʻi

L4.6:FundingforcontinuedalbiziacontrolworkonHawaiʻiIsland

L4.7:Identifysourcesoffundingforinvasivespeciesworkinthehighways’ROW

L4.8UseestimateidentifiedinI8.1torequestfundingfromthelegislaturetoremovehazardtreesnear

privatepropertybutwhicharelocatedonstatelands

19

AllObjectivesandImplementationTasks

Thefollowingstrategies,goals,andrecommendationsaimtoprovidearoadmapto

successfulmanagementofalbiziaonalandscapescalethroughouttheStateofHawaiʻi.

ImpactsI1:Assesspopulationsizeandfootprintofalbiziaonastatewidescale

I1.1:CompletemappingofalbiziapopulationsusingPictometryorotherhighaccuracytechniquestocreate

statewidemaps

I2:Assessenvironmentalimpacts I2.2:ResearchhydrologicalimpactsI.2.2Createadistributionmodeltoassessthepotentialhabitatsuitableforalbiziainfestation

I2.4:Performhazardanalysisbasedoncurrentfootprintanddistributionmodel

I2.5:Performtreeriskassessmentsofalbizialocatedalongtrailsandareasofuse

I3:Protectionofprioritywatershedandwildlifehabitat

I3.1:RemovalortreatmentofallalbiziatreesinprioritywatershedareasasidentifiedbytheDivision

ofForestryandWildlife'sprioritywatershedmap

I3.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziafromnativedominantforests,areasofhighecologicalvalue,and

forestscontainingthreatenedorendangeredspecies

I4:Mitigatehazardstoincreasewaterqualityandreduceflooding

I4.1:Establishstreampilotprogramtoremovealbiziaalongstreamcorridors

I4.2:Removalortreatmentofallalbiziagrowingwithinurbanstreamcorridors

I4.3:Performtreeriskassessmentsforalbiziatreeslocatedwithinstreamcorridors

I5:Assesstheeconomicimpactofalbizia

I5.1:Performaneconomicanalysisoftheimpactsofalbiziaandassociatedcosts

I6:Establishsustainablesecondaryandalternativeusesforremovedmaterials

I6.1:Exploresustainablealternativeusesformaterialsgeneratedbyalbiziaremovalprojects

I7:Protectvaluablepublicinfrastructurefromalbiziadamage

I7.1:Developacomprehensivelistofpublicinfrastructurepiecesimpactedbyalbizia

I7.2:Standardroadsidesurveysandcontrolofseedlings

I7.3:Standardutilitycorridorsurveysandcontrolofseedlings

I7.4:Removalofallhazardtreesaffectingpublicinfrastructurestatewideandcreatebufferzonesof

treatedtrees

I7.5:Assesshazardtrees,costoftreatmentforalbizianearpublicschoolsanduniversities

20

I8:Protectprivateinfrastructurefromalbiziadamagefromtreeslocatedon

statelands

I8.1:Solicitrequestsfromprivatelandownersabuttingstatelandsforpotentialremovalofhazardtrees,in

ordertogenerateacostandresourceestimatefor

removal

I8.2:Oncefundinghasbeensecured,(seeL4.8)removehazardalbizialocatednearprivatelandsand

createbufferzonesoftreatedtrees

I9:Maintainculturalsitesandhistoricviewplanes

I9.1:Assessimpactstohistoricproperties,culturalsites,andviewplanes

I9.2:Removalortreatmentoftreesimpactinghistoricproperties,culturalsites,andhistoricviewplanes

I9.3:Developstandardpracticesforremovalfromhistoricsiteswithminimalimpact.

ControlMethodsM1:Establishnewandeffectivebiologicalcontrolsforalbizia

M1.1:ContinuedbiocontrolresearchM1.2:Releaseofalbizia-specificbiocontrolagents

M2:Establishadditionalchemicalandphysicalremovaltechniquesoroptions

M2.1:Researchadditionalfoliar,systemic,andpre-emergentcontroloptions

M2.2:Researchimprovedphysicalremovalortreatmentoptions

M3:Establishimprovedtechnologiesforthecontrolofalbizia

M3.1:Researchoffuturetechnologiesandmethodssuchasgenetictechniques,deploymentmethods,etc.

PlanningP1:Supportcreationofdetailedactionplans

P1.1:Creationofdetailedislandspecificorsitespecificmanagementplansand/orhazardmitigationplansfor

Kauaʻi,Oʻahu,Molokaʻi,Maui,Lanaʻi,andHawaiʻi

P1.2:Createalbizia-specificbiocontrolplanP2:Empowerthecommunitytotakeaction

P2.1:DevelopmentofislandbasedoutreachplansP2.2:CreatealbiziacontrolteamsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

P2.3:Engageneighborhoodboards,communityassociations,etc.inalbiziaimpactedareas

P3:Engagelandownersandotherstakeholders

P3.1:Reachouttoalllargelandownerswithalbiziapopulations

P3.2:Exploretreatmentandremovaloptionsonprivatelands

P3.3:CreationofaninteragencyAlbiziaControlWorkingGroup

21

Legislature,Policy,andFundingL1:Createpoliciesthatsupportalbiziacontrolandmanagement

L1.1:Prohibitfutureplantingofalbizia(FalcatariamoluccanaandAlbiziachinensis)L1.2:OfficiallydesignatealbiziaasaHISCpriorityspecies/invasivespecies

L1.3:OfficiallydesignateAlbiziaasanoxiousweedL2:Establishbestmanagementpractices

L2.2:Establishstandardbestmanagementpracticesforagencies

L2.3:EstablishstandardBestmanagementpracticesforgovernmentcontractors

L2.4:Establishguidelinesforbestmanagementpracticesforthepublic

L2.5:Establishroadright-of-wayseedlingcontrolprotocols

L2.6:EstablishminimumcriteriaforlongtermmaintenanceofhighwayROWand150footbuffersin

environmentaldocumentsforhighwaydevelopment

projectsincludingnewconstructionaswellasroad

widening(e.g.Albiziafreefortenyearspost

construction)

L3:CreateincentivestoassistlandownerswithAlbiziacontrolandto

mitigatehazardtreeremoval

L3.1:Taxcreditorotherincentivesforremovalofhazardtreesonprivateproperty

L3.2:Exploreopportunitiestoestablishacost-sharingorsubsidyprograms

L3.3:Realestatedisclosuresforpropertieswithlargealbiziaand/orhazardalbiziaonneighboringproperty

L4:Increasefundingforstatewidealbiziamanagementefforts

L4.1:FundingforhazardtreeremovalpursuanttoHRS127A-18

L4.2:FundingforAlbiziaspecificbiocontrolresearchL4.3:FundingforhazardtreesinpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

L4.4:FundingforCommunitybasedcontrolpilotprogramsonKauaʻi,Oʻahu,Maui,andLanaʻi

L4.5:FundingforcontinuedearlydetectioneffortsonMolokaʻi

L4.6:FundingforcontinuedalbiziacontrolworkonHawaiʻiIsland

L4.7:Identifysourcesoffundingforinvasivespeciesworkinthehighways’ROW

L4.8UseestimateidentifiedinI8.1torequestfundingfromthelegislaturetoremovehazardtreesnear

privatepropertybutwhicharelocatedonstatelands

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-level

controls.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)StandStructuralControlsonEvapotranspiration

inNativeandInvadedTropicalMontaneCloudForestinHawai'i.American

GeophysicalUnion,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’s

lowlandwetforests.

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

HumanResources.

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®

herbicide

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

24

25

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.

CAUTIO

N! 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:Thefollowingoutlinecanbeusedasabasetemplateforthedevelopmentofsitespecificor

species-specificmanagementplans.Imagesandmapsshouldbeusedtoaddcontextand

claritytotheplan.

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

B. TableofcontentsC. StakeholderIdentification

a. Listandidentifystakeholders,landmanagers,orlandownerswhowillneedtobeinvolvedwhenconductingmanagementactions.Thisisalsotheplaceto

listadditionalauthors,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.Explain

indetailthebenefitsanddrawbacksofeachapplicabletechnique,aswellasthe

methodologyforapplicationorcontrol.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. Issues/problemsi. 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. HawaiiEnvironmentalProtectionActii. NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct

Tocreateamulti-speciesplan:

• Repeat#4-6foreachspecies

• Includeallspeciescontroleffortsinbudget

• Includemeasuresofsuccessforeachspecies

30

AlbiziaControlattheCommunityLevel:ACT!

TheProblem:FalcatariamoluccanawasintroducedtoHawaiiover100yearsagoandhasbeenidentifiedasoneofthemostproblematicinvasivespeciesaffectingBigIslandcommunitiestoday.

Possiblythefastestgrowingtreeintheworld,albiziaformsweak,brittlewood,matures

quickly,andspreadseasilythroughwind-borneseeds.Itposesaseriousthreattobothour

naturalenvironmentandourpublicsafety.

Albiziaisnotoriousforitstendencytoloselarge,heavylimbsinevenmildwinds.Even

beforeTropicalStormIselle,duringwhichdozensofpeopleweretrappedforhoursand

severalhomescrushed,theresidentsofPunahadlongdealtwiththehazardoffalling

albizia.Outbuildings,fences,andcarswereamongthecommoncasualtiesofalbizialimbs.

Albiziaisproneto“suddenlimbdrop,”wherehiddenweaknessesinthelimbscancause

branchestofallevenwithnoapparentdisturbance.

Thecoststotaxpayersandutilitycustomersfromalbiziaimpactsarehigh.Besidesthecostsofremovingtreesthataredirectthreats,HELCO,HDOT,andtheCountyroutinely

mustdealwiththeimpactsoftreesfallingfromprivatepropertyontoroadsandpower

lines.HELCOestimatesthatitspent$13MrespondingtodamagefromIselle,andtheHawaiiIslandbranchofthestateDOTestimatesthat90%ofallreceivedcallsaboutfallen

treesareforalbizia.Coststoindividualpropertyownersfromtreesfallingontoadjoining

propertieshavenotbeencompiled,butarelikelyinthemillionsofdollars.

AddressingtheProblem:CommunityEmpowermentWhilemanylegislativebillstofundacomprehensivealbiziaprogramhavebeenproposed,

sofar,nonehavebeenenacted.Limitedfundinghasbeenprovidedfromvarioussources,

catalyzedbytheallocationoffundsfromCountyCouncilPunarepresentativeGreggor

Ilagan.PunaandHiloresidentsaresteppinguptoimprovethesafetyandwellbeingof

theircommunitiesthroughcontrolofalbizia.

BIISCworkswithcommunityassociations,boards,neighborhoodwatchgroups,or

communityorganizationsthatwanttoaddressalbizia.Wewillworkwiththegroupand

theirdesignatedliaison(an“albiziacoordinator”)totrainvolunteerstoassesstreesafety,

treatnon-hazardtrees,andtrackandmonitoralbizia.Thegroupwillalsoreceivesupport

materialstouseincontactingpropertyowners,privateentities,orgovernmentagencies

forhelp.BIISCoutreachstaffwillworkwithcommunitycoordinatorstoaddressspecific

issuesthatariseasvolunteersseekactiononthehazardtreesintheirneighborhoods.

BIISCwillcontinuetoeducateandworkonourlegislatorsontheproblem,andtoseek

pathsthroughwhichcommunitymemberscanfindassistanceforremovingthismenace

fromtheirneighborhoods.

31

ACT:AlbiziaControlTeamsSTEP1:PresentationandProgramOverviewThefirststepistohostaBIISCrepresentativeatyournextcommunityassociation,board,

orneighborhoodwatchmeetingtodiscusstheprogramanddetermineifthisistheright

directionforyourcommunity.

Onceyourcommunityhasdecidedtomoveforwardand“ACT”,aliaisonor“albizia

coordinator”shouldbedesignated.Thisisaveryimportantrole,asthispersonwillassist

inmakingarrangementsfortrainingworkshopsaswellasprovidingsupportfor

communityvolunteers.YourcoordinatorwillbethepointofcontactforBIISCand

communityvolunteers,andwillalsohelpwithtrackingofalbiziatrees.

Wesuggestthattheboardorcommunityassociationusethetemplateenclosedinthis

packettodeterminewhatresponsibilitieswillfalltothecommunitycoordinator(s).

STEP2:VolunteerTrainingWorkshopOncethecoordinatorisinplace,heorshewillworkwithBIISCtohostaBIISCcommunity

volunteertrainingworkshop.Outreachfortheworkshopiskey:BIISCcanprovidesome

colorflyersandwillpublicizetheeventonourwebsiteandsocialmedia,butwefindthat

thebestwaytogenerateagoodturnoutisthroughneighbor-to-neighborencouragement.

Onthedayoftheworkshop,volunteerswillbepresentedwiththescopeoftheprogram

andencouragedto“signup”forkuleanaofaspecificarea,block,orsectionofstreet.Thealbiziacoordinatorcanfollowupaftertheworkshopwithindividualswhoexpressinterest.

Asuggestedtemplateforavolunteersign-upsheetisincludedinthispacket.

STEP3:VolunteerACTion!Ifrequested,BIISCwillsupplythecoordinatorwithmapsofthespecificareastakenonby

ACTvolunteers.Thecoordinatorwillbeprovidedwithtemplates,helpfulinformationon

legislationregardingalbizia,andothertoolstosupporttheACTvolunteersasneeded.

BIISCstaffwillalsobeavailabletoassistcoordinatorsifunusualoruncertainsituations

arise,andwillprovideongoingsupportandtrainingasneeded.

STEP4:TrackingBecauseBIISCisworkinghardforlegislativeactionandgrantfunding,trackingisareally

criticalpartofourefforts.WeaskthatACTvolunteersandcoordinatorsworktogetherto

trackbothtreatedtreesandhazardtreesandreportthisworktoBIISC.Atrackingsheet

templateisincludedinthispacket.

32

[DATE]

Dear[RECIPIENT],

Iamreachingouttoyouinregardstoapropertyyouownon[ADDRESS],TMKNo.__________

in[SUBDIVISION]ontheBigIslandofHawaii.

I/Weareconcernedaboutaspecifichazardoustree(s)growingonyourpropertythatis

posingathreatto(providespecificdescriptionofthestructure).Picturesofthetreeand

structureareenclosed.

Youmayornotbeawareofthethreatposedbythisinvasivetree,butFalcatariamoluccanaoralbiziaisoneofthefastestgrowingtreesintheworld.Thewoodisverybrittleand

branchesbreakoffeasily,causingseverepropertydamage,lossofelectricpower,andeven

caraccidents.

Ourcommunityisworkingtogethertoaddressthethreatofthistreeandpreventan

occurrenceofthekindofdevastationHawaiiIslandfacedintheaftermathofTropical

StormIselle.Becauseofthewidespreadrecognitionofliabilityissueofthisparticulartree,

removalisnecessarytopreventasignificantdecreaseinpropertyvalue.

AlbiziahasbeenrecognizedasaseriousthreatbybothourstateandCounty.Ifaproperty

ownerdoesnotresolvetheproblem,theStateofHawaii,throughHRS127A-18(commonly

knownas“Act76”)isauthorizedtoenterprivatepropertytoremoveormitigatethe

hazard.Thecostisthenbilledtothepropertyowner.

Alistofcertifiedarboristscanbefoundat

http://alohaarborist.com/index.php/members/oahu-members/.Whencallingforquotes,

keepinmindthattheremaybewaystoreducethecostofmitigation,suchashavingthe

treetrimmedbackawayfromthreatenedstructures.Ifthetreemustbecompletely

removedtomitigatethethreat,itmaybepossibletoleavetheremovedwoodinplaceon

yourpropertytoreducecosts.Itisimportanttorequestthatthearboristtreatany

remainingstumpstopreventregrowth.

Thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadthisletter.Pleaseletusknowhowyouintendto

handlethishazardwithin30daysofthisnotice.

I/Wegreatlyappreciateyourresponse,

[SIGNATURE]