Hawaii agriculture agency welcomes record biosecurity funding

The state Department of Agriculture is set to receive unprecedented biosecurity funding this fiscal year despite deep cuts Gov. Josh Green recently made to a legislative appropriation.

The agency announced that it is due to receive more money for biosecurity programs and staffing than ever before under two bills approved by the Legislature and subsequently signed by Green, who used line-item vetoes on one measure that significantly reduced funding aimed at combating little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles and other pests.

“This historic investment in biosecurity and invasive species programs will significantly enhance our ability to protect Hawaii’s unique ecosystems and vital agricultural resources,” Sharon Hurd, the agency’s director, said in a statement last week. “This legislation is a necessary step in our long-term plans for the protection of Hawaii’s unique ecosystems and our agricultural industries.”

According to the agency, appropriations from the state’s general fund for biosecurity initiatives and invasive species mitigation more than tripled to $19.2 million in the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, compared with two years earlier.

One appropriation for biosecurity initiatives totaled $9.2 million and was provided in the state budget bill, House Bill 1800. The agency said this amount represents an increase from $6.2 million previously.

A separate $10 million appropriation to the agency for biosecurity was enacted through HB 2619 after Green cut $9.8 million from that bill.

The governor’s cuts earlier this month were criticized as short-sighted by The Sierra Club of Hawaii, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Conservation Council for Hawaii.

“Little fire ants are attacking keiki and kupuna on Oahu, coconut rhinoceros beetles are spreading across Kauai, and two-lined spittlebugs are one interisland shipment away from crippling Maui’s ranching industry,” the three organizations said in a joint statement. “As history has unfortunately made abundantly clear, an investment (of) $1 million in biosecurity now could save hundreds of millions in the long run, whether through exponentially higher management costs, or losses to our agriculture and tourism industries and impacts to our public health and overall quality of life.”

Green’s reductions amounted to $9.1 million less for programs or projects, and about $675,000 less for staffing.

The single biggest reduction in HB 2619 zeroed out $2 million for a public awareness campaign.

Most of the program or project funding cuts in the bill were partial. For instance, a $2.5 million appropriation for little fire ant response was cut to $1.5 million.

Other downsized appropriations included $240,000 for brown tree snake rapid response instead of $1.1 million, $600,000 for biosecurity facility planning work instead of $1.5 million, $1.2 million for coconut rhinoceros beetle response instead of $1.5 million, $600,000 to deal with two-lined spittlebugs instead of $800,000 and $74,355 for coqui frog response instead of $100,000.

With regard to appropriations for additional staffing, Green trimmed this total to $2.5 million from $3.2 million. The Legislature’s appropriation in the bill was to pay for the equivalent of 44 additional full-time employees, including 20 plant quarantine inspectors, 11 environmental health specialists and four entomologists.

Green did not eliminate funding for whole positions, but slashed the amount of funding for 24 positions. For instance, five appropriations for plant quarantine inspectors at $69,096 each were cut in half to $34,548 while five others were each cut to $51,822. In another instance, funding for a plant pathologist and a noxious weed specialist at $86,376 each was reduced to $21,594 each.

The governor also eliminated $200,000 that was to be equally split among four counties to implement a feral chicken control program provided that the counties provided an equal amount of program funding.

In his veto message to the Legislature, Green said the total appropriation in HB 2619 was high. “I have worked with the DOA to determine where cuts are feasible to ensure the funding provided in this bill has an effective impact on the biosecurity of our State,” he wrote in his message.

Green also objected to appropriating a set amount of money to the counties for feral chicken control, and said he preferred another bill that he signed into law earlier this month, Senate Bill 2401. This bill requires counties to match expenditures by the agency on feral chicken control programs that are to be developed jointly.

In Monday’s announcement from the agency, Green said that protecting Hawaii’s natural resources and agricultural heritage is a top priority for the state.

“This record level of funding reflects our commitment to safeguarding our environment and ensuring the sustainability of our agriculture industry for future generations while also ensuring the responsible use of state funds,” he said.