The spread of invasive plant species threatens watersheds, native ecosystems, agricultural and recreational lands throughout Hawaii. Ivy gourd smothers plants growing along our roads and highways. Fireweed blooms yellow and poisons pastures on Maui and the Big Island. Fountain grass grows wild in West Hawaii and on Oahu, promoting wildfires. Invasive plants are everywhere, and despite the money and efforts expended to control plants on the State Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weeds List, it is still legal to sell these plants in Hawaii. 

The need for new rules is apparent in the numbers:  an estimated 10,000 species of plants have been introduced to Hawaii. There are more than 250,000 plant species in the world and experts believe that 10% of these would be invasive if planted in Hawaii.  

Two bills that would correct this current loophole are now in the Hawaii State Legislature, HB 2517, HD1 and SB 2523. These bills would make it illegal to sell plants listed as HDOA Noxious Weeds, as well as allowing HDOA to regulate the sale of specific plants on the Restricted Plants List.

The current wording of the Restricted Plants List in Section 150A-6.1 is limited to listing plants that have a potential to carry an invasive insect or disease, and there are no rules to protect Hawaii from new plants that are invasive, or have a high probability of becoming invasive, if imported and planted in Hawaii. This wording change would enable HDOA to list plant species that are known to be invasive elsewhere but are not yet present in Hawaii and take advantage of the HISC-supported Weed Risk Assessment.

The process for listing invasive plants not known to be present in Hawaii on the Restricted Plants List has been a topic of discussion for years. The vast majority of representatives from plant industry and conservation groups agree that we need to ask questions about a plant before importing it. However, one roadblock is the lack of wording anywhere in the statutes that would enable HDOA to stop the importation of a new plant based only on its invasive performance.

These and other invasive species bills are winding their way through the legislature. After the close of the session, HDOA plans on continuing work on formulating a Restricted Plant List by meeting with plant industry and conservation representatives.