Washington, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) joined U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono in introducing legislation to fight the spread of Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) and help restore native forests in Hawaiʻi.
The Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025 enables federal agencies – including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) – to more closely coordinate with the State of Hawaiʻi to prevent the spread of ROD.
“Rapid Ohia Death has devastated Hawaiʻi’s native forests and caused irreversible damage to the critical habitat for our endangered birds and other native species. We cannot afford to lose more of this natural and cultural resource,” said Rep. Tokuda. “That’s why I am proud to join Senator Hirono in co-leading the Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025, which will give us the resources and tools needed to help combat the disease and preserve our fragile forest ecosystem for future generations.”
“Over the past decade, Rapid Ohia Death has decimated Hawaiʻi’s Ohia population, posing a serious threat to not just the species’ survival, but to our local ecosystems as well,” said Senator Hirono. “Ohia Lehua are crucial to Native Hawaiian culture, as well as the environment, playing a key role in protecting watersheds and conserving water. This legislation will require continued federal support to prevent the spread of this disease, identify Ohia trees that are resistant to ROD, and propagate trees that are resistant to ROD to restore and preserve our native forests. I will keep working to ensure that Hawaiʻi has the resources needed to prevent further Ohia death and protect our state’s unique biodiversity and culture for generations to come.”
ROD is a fungus, Ceratocystis, that was discovered in Hawaiʻi in 2014. It has killed over a million native Ohia trees and has been detected on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, and Oʻahu. In that time, the USFS has partnered with the State of Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Department of the Interior in efforts to detect and respond to the spread of ROD. The Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025 would support these ongoing efforts by:
· directing the U.S. Geological Survey to continue supporting research on ROD vectors and transmission;
· requiring the U.S. Forest Service, to continue providing resources to prevent the spread of ROD and restore the native forests in Hawaiʻi, and to also continue to provide financial and staff resources to the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF), located in Hilo, to continue research on ROD; and
· directing the Department of the Interior to collaborate with the Department of Agriculture and the State of Hawai‘i to continue and expand detection, prevention, and restoration efforts to Rapid Ohia Death, including funding and staff for necessary research.
The full text of the bill is available here.
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