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Lawmakers hear pleas for state-funded response as federal CRB emergency funding wanes
Summary
Testimony on Senate Bill 686 urged state funding to maintain coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) response capacity across islands after federal emergency funding scaled back; witnesses outlined line-item uses including subsidized canopy treatment and canine inspections and urged adding Kauai to program coverage.
Senators at the joint hearing on Jan. 31 considered Senate Bill 686, which would establish a short-term management initiative and appropriate funds for the coconut rhinoceros beetle response program. Witnesses representing state agencies, research institutions and community groups said state funding is needed because federal emergency support is diminishing.
Cameron Fujimoto, acting plant pest control branch manager for the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, said the department "stands on its written testimony and strong support of this measure." University of Hawaii representatives also testified in support, noting that…
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