Sponsors (2)
The bill provides targeted, multi-year federal funding and formal interagency support to detect, study, and restore ʻōhiʻa forests threatened by Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death—improving ecological and community outcomes in affected areas—while imposing taxpayer costs, potential limits on local control and private land use, ecological risks if propagation is mismanaged, and implementation uncertainty until appropriations and clear accountability are in place.
State, local, and Indigenous communities and land managers will receive multi-year federal funding and staffing (authorized $5M/year, 2026–2036) that supports detection, response, restoration, and program continuity for Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.
Native forests, biodiversity, and cultural resources will benefit from federal-supported identification, propagation, and restoration efforts (including disease‑resistant ʻōhiʻa propagation) that aim to save remaining trees and recover large areas of forest.
Federal formalization of interagency coordination (DOI, USDA, Forest Service, ARS) will align efforts, leverage expertise, and improve the speed and coherence of the response across jurisdictions.
All taxpayers may ultimately bear the cost: the bill authorizes roughly $55 million over 11 years (if appropriated) and continued spending for research and staff without a specified long‑term budget.
An authorization does not guarantee funding—projects and staffing remain subject to future appropriations, creating uncertainty for on-the-ground actions and planning.
Federal-led programs may diminish state or community discretion and could impose management actions that affect private landowners (e.g., ungulate control), restricting land-use choices for residents.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 14, 2025 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress January 14, 2025
Directs continued federal action to fight the fungus causing Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death in Hawaii by requiring interagency and federal–state collaboration, continuing research and on-the-ground management, and authorizing $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2036 to support those activities. Federal agencies named include the Department of the Interior (USGS and USFWS) and the Department of Agriculture (Forest Service and Agricultural Research Service), with explicit support for the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry and partnerships with the State of Hawaii and local stakeholders. Establishes definitions for the disease and the State (Hawaii), specifies roles for research, ungulate management, and restoration efforts, and sets a funding authorization level but does not prescribe detailed reporting, timelines, or specific funding allocations beyond the annual authorization.