Washington, DC — U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) issued the following statement on the Continued Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Response Act of 2023 after the legislation unanimously passed the House of Representatives this week.
“Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death presents an existential threat to Hawai‘i’s native forests that are a critical habitat for our endangered birds and other species. If we don’t act now, our native forests will not survive,” said Rep. Tokuda. “This bill would help in the fight against Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death by leveraging federal resources to support statewide efforts in mitigating Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death’s impact on Hawaiʻi’s delicate ecosystems.”
The Continued Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Response Act of 2023 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawai‘i on combating Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death. This bill would increase support for continued detection, prevention, and restoration efforts to Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, including funding and staff for necessary research.
This legislation, which she introduced with U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, is Rep. Tokuda’s first bill to pass the House of Representatives. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for further action.
The full text of the bill is available here.
Rep. Tokuda’s remarks on the House Floor are available here.
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