The battle against invasive species in Hawaii has taken a financial turn with the State Department of Agriculture receiving a record level of funding for biosecurity, even as Governor Josh Green wields his veto power to trim the sails of the legislative appropriation. The agency is slated to bag more money than ever for initiatives aimed at protecting the state's ecosystems and agriculture from pests such as little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles.
According to a report by West Hawaii Today, this fiscal year's funding, buoyed by two legislative bills, will exceed previous years with the biosecurity budget more than tripling to $19.2 million. However, these numbers come with the caveat that the governor employed line-item vetoes to significantly reduce originally proposed funding, a move aimed to "ensure the funding provided in this bill has an effective impact on the biosecurity of our State," according to Green in a veto message. This included chopping down a $9.8 million chunk from one of the bills, controversially diminishing resources meant to curb known environmental threats.
In response to the cuts, environmental advocacy groups have raised alarms about the potential repercussions. As reported by Hawaii Tribune-Herald, a joint statement from The Sierra Club of Hawaii, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Conservation Council for Hawaii sharply criticized the governor's action, arguing that investing $1 million in biosecurity now "could save hundreds of millions in the long run."
Despite the governor's vetoes leading to substantially reduce amounts for several programs, such as little fire ant response and biosecurity facility planning work, Sharon Hurd, the agency's director, maintained an optimistic stance, affirming to West Hawaii Today that "This historic investment in biosecurity and invasive species programs will significantly enhance our ability to protect Hawaii’s unique ecosystems and vital agricultural resources." Nevertheless, staffing provisions took a hit too, with Governor Green's scalpel reducing allocations meant to boost personnel numbers dedicated to biosecurity.
