Christy Martin, Christopher Dacus
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 2:00-2:30
The development of a Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) system prompted outreach to horticulture groups statewide in 2002 to promote voluntary use of this as a predictive tool and to make informed planting decisions for species already present. These meetings were somewhat contentious, primarily due to misconceptions about the HPWRA and the belief that it would lead to a plant importation ban. Ongoing outreach helped, but did not result in voluntary use of the HPWRA. The national push to add objectives to the Codes of Conduct provided another avenue for gaining buy-in. Multiple discussions with industry groups and botanical gardens resulted in about half signing Codes, with three common points: 1. Names of plants not known to be present in Hawaii will be voluntarily submitted for screening by the HPWRA; 2. Natural resource managers and horticulture industry will agree on a short list of invasive ornamentals that will be discontinued, and 3. Work together to identify and promote native or noninvasive plants in place of common invasives. Common concerns were that the lists of discontinued plants were short and differed from group to group. Chris Dacus, American Society of Landscape Architects Hawaii Chapter incoming president, came up with an ambitious initiative that looked at the 168 plants that were screened as invasive with the HPWRA, and agreed to stop specifying 134 of these plants. The remaining 34 were deemed without non-invasive alternatives, so planting guidelines are being developed to minimize their risk of spread from landscape settings. Outreach is ongoing.
Keywords: INVASIVE PLANTS, CODES OF CONDUCT, WEED RISK ASSESSMENT, HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY, ORNAMENTAL