Jeremy Gooding
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 11:00-11:30
Anthropogenic spread of invasive species threatens premier natural areas on Maui, Hawaii, including Kipahulu Valley, arguably the most biologically diverse and intact rain forest in the U.S., and the valuable watershed areas of windward Maui, which provide over 60 billion gallons of useable water per year. Efforts to eliminate invasive species on the island of Maui by a myriad of partnership groups have provided a valuable template for preventing the unintentional spread of invasive agents during conservation and development projects. An interagency partnership has developed a comprehensive approach that includes rigorous decontamination protocols, projectspecific dedicated gear and equipment, isolation and containment strategies, inspection programs, and aggressive education components. These strategies, initially developed by Haleakala National Park and The Nature Conservancy Hawaii, have been significantly refined by maturing grassroots conservation groups such as the Maui Invasive Species Committee and the East Maui Watershed Partnership. The costs associated with dedicated gear and vehicles for high-risk species may initially seem prohibitive; however, the relative cost is grossly insignificant compared to high potential for spreading target species into pristine areas. The current commonsense approach to problem definition includes factors such as potential effect of an unintended vector event, probable risk of vectoring a species, and feasibility of isolating contaminated material. Species that receive the highest level of effort are agents that are controllable, preventable and whose accidental dispersal may result in catastrophic effects.
Keywords: PREVENTION, DECONTAMINATION, ISOLATION, CONTAINMENT