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Welcome to the HPWRA Project Tracking Workspace
This site provides access to the daily work calendar, quarterly and annual reports, and other documentation related to the Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment program, which is funded through an annual grant of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council Prevention Working Group.
Project at a Glance:
The Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) addresses gaps in the capacity to prevent new invasive plants from entering the State and reduce the spread of existing invasive plants. This voluntary screening system provides an objective, science-based and accurate method of assessing the invasive potential of plants being imported into and/or planted within the Hawaiian Islands. Research demonstrates that preventing the introduction of invasive species is the most cost-effective option when dealing with invasive species. The HPWRA system is a successful component of state-wide prevention measures.
Project Objectives
The HPWRA project addresses several Goals and Objectives within the HISC Strategic Plan and increases the capacity and collaboration within the Prevention, Established Pests, and Public Outreach Working Groups. Continuation of funding for the HPWRA will support the overall HISC goal of coordinating ”invasive species management and control programs for County, State, Federal and private sector entities by developing a structure for cooperators to work together to share resources and responsibilities to address specific invasive species issues.” The HPWA program is available to international, federal, state, and county agencies and private sectors to use as a preventative measure to assess the risk of introducing or planting a species in the country, state or county.
Goal 1: The HPWRA project supports Goal One of the Prevention Working Group, namely to “review risks of pest/invasive species entry into the State.” The system reviews the biological, ecological and weediness information of a plant species and assesses species’ potential to be invasive in Hawaii. This program improves the capacity of agencies to identify problematic species through a collaborative effort and a shared resource. The prevention objective to “identify terrestrial and aquatic species that are at high risk of being introduced to the State or being spread within the State” is supported by HPWRA risk analysis. This objective is identified as a high priority within the prevention category. Increasing global trade will create new pathways and introduce more species to Hawaii. The HPWRA system can assist in the identification of invasive species before they impact Hawaii’s economy, ecology or human health. Preventing the introduction of alien invasive species is the most cost effective and preferred option to mitigate potential negative impacts.
Goal 2: The HISC strategic plan also calls for the development of “collaborative industry guidelines and codes of conduct, which minimize or eliminate unintentional introductions” of invasive plant pests. To date, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii, the Kauai Landscape Industry Council, the Oahu Nursery Growers Association, the Hawaii Island Landscape Association and a number of individual companies have agreed to adopt the voluntary code of conduct. This agreement includes screening plants using the HPWRA and promoting non-invasive alternatives. In addition to providing timely assessments, HPWRA specialists also attend public and industry meetings to explain assessment results, provide information on invasive species and low-risk alternatives, and encourage adoption of the HPWRA system and codes of conduct as tools to reduce weed impacts on the state economy and environment. These meetings support the Public Outreach goal to “educate the public and private sector about invasive species to positively affect perception, action and funding for control and prevention.”
Goal 3: One of the Prevention objectives is to “develop a comprehensive ‘approved planting list’ to ensure that invasive species are not being planted in State projects or by any state contractors, e.g. screened by the Weed Risk Assessment protocol.” At the July 9, 2008 meeting of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, a resolution was adopted requiring that “state agencies conducting planting operations request HPWRA scores when available as one of the tools to assist decision makers in determining whether or not to plant a species. For species that have scored as potentially invasive in Hawai‘i, this information underscores the need for containment plans or remediation efforts if it becomes necessary.” Since implementation in 2001, the HPWRA has provided detailed assessments and risk predictions for 1,304 plant species, an increase of 191 assessments over the previous 12-month period. Continued support of the HPWRA will allow for ongoing screening of new plants, as the only science-based “background check” available for plant importers. Support will also result in the expansion of the list of not only high risk species, but also low risk or “approved” species that are essential to public and private adoption of the system. The new “Plant Pono” website currently under development, a HISC Public Outreach Working Group priority for FY10-11, will incorporate and is dependent upon HPWRA-generated content in order to promote such low-risk alternatives to the horticultural and landscaping industries, as well as to the general public.
Goal 4: Finally, the County Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) use the HPWRA to assist in the prioritization of plant species to eradicate or control. The HPWRA directly supports the Response and Control Working Group’s objective to “develop and implement a decision-making protocol for targeting species for eradication and or control efforts.” The Early Detection teams from each ISC submit risk assessment requests based on their field surveys. In conclusion, the HPWRA system continues to be an important tool for the promotion of responsible importation and planting decisions and provides information necessary for preventing new invasive plant species from becoming unknowingly established and disseminated throughout the islands.