Innovative weeding
program nears end

A state senator hopes to extend
the contract for the emergency
environmental teams

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

As almost 200 emergency environmental workers near the end of three-month contracts with the state, Maui Sen. J. Kalani English is hoping to keep some workers at their posts even longer.

Since December, temporary workers on the four major islands have been searching out and destroying invasive plant species like miconia and clearing debris that allows dengue fever-bearing mosquitoes to breed.

Supporters say the work force has been key in slowing the spread of dengue and eradicating more troublesome plants in less time than ever before.

"The people are doing amazing things," said Tom Ishii, a statewide supervisor for the program. "These people come from all walks of life, and they are thrilled to be outdoors and doing something that helps Hawaii."

The volume of work the force has done is big:

>> In the Hana area of Maui, more than 130 tons of debris that could harbor mosquito-breeding habitat has been removed by the crews.

>> On the Big Island, 125,986 miconia plants have been removed from 2,228 acres.

>> At the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, crews have removed ivy gourd and mangrove trees that threatened the nesting areas of red-footed boobies and Hawaiian stilts.

The work has been financed by a $1.5 million appropriation from the state Legislature, with the dual goal of employing people who had lost jobs in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy and attacking some of Hawaii's most urgent environmental needs.

"The shutdown date for Hana crews is Wednesday, but it varies (at other locations) because of different start-up dates," English said.

The Maui County Council has pledged $100,000 to keep some people working on dengue prevention on that island, though the details of how that would be accomplished remain to be worked out.

English (D, Wailuku-Kahului-Upcountry) is hoping meanwhile that other counties, nonprofit organizations or tourism-related businesses could band together to continue the work on other islands until July.

"I've estimated it would take $800,000 to $1 million to keep it (the entire Emergency Environmental Workforce) going until July," English said yesterday. "I've made a few calls, and I've asked a few people to consider giving money.

"I've not quite accepted the fact it will shut down," English said. "This is a very innovative and creative program."

July is when the environmental corps could be revived under state auspices, if Senate Bill 2900 makes it through the Legislature. Primary sponsor English said he is optimistic it will. His logic: It does not cost the state any more than paying unemployment claims to pay workers $9.96 an hour to do good work on the environmental front.

That is not a logic not shared by Gov. Ben Cayetano, who "declined" English's request that more emergency funds be earmarked to continue the program through April, May and June, English said.

David Duffy, an Emergency Environmental Workforce administrator, said he would love to see the program rescued, but he has already started to send notices to employees that their time is almost up.

"I haven't heard the cavalry coming. I'd love to hear the sound of trumpets and thunder of hooves, but it's getting a little late for that," Duffy said.

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