In a bold move to further minimize the introduction and spread of invasive plants by growers, nurseries, landscapers, and botanical gardens and arboreta, Hawaii’s green industry is expanding its self-regulating process. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Hawai‘i Chapter is developing a recommended list of potentially invasive plants to avoid using within the industry.
The ASLA Executive Committee has determined three basic approaches to best address the invasive plant issue:
• Develop a more proactive approach
• Use more caution in choosing plants
• Continue to use plants that have more benefit than risk
According to Christopher Dacus, Landscape Architect with the state Department of Transportation, Highways Division Design Branch, the committee reviewed only the plants on the Weed Risk Assessments (WRA) list that are predicted to be invasive, focusing on the benefits, since the WRA has determined the risk.
WRA, developed to predict which plants would become invasive if they were introduced to Hawai‘i, is an ongoing process by the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program with a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. The WRA may be viewed online at http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/daehler/wra/.
An initial review of each plant was conducted by ASLA with six possible determinations:
Do Not Plant
Continue to Plant
Plant but refrain from using near sensitive environs
Obtain industry input and consensus
Do not plant if equal alternative is propagated
Request additional information
“This can be seen as the next step, building on what Christy Martin and the Codes of Conduct have been doing, looking at about 20 plants,” Dacus said. “But, this is looking at more than 150 plants, all the ones identified as potentially invasive by the WRA. We looked at the whole list as a survey. It’s a way of building on the Codes of Conduct and getting more of the industry involved.”
The Codes of Conduct Project is a self-regulating process adopted by members of the green industry to help protect the environment from new invasive plant species.
The Codes of Conduct goals (in brief):
Have plants screened for their potential to be invasive in Hawai‘i before they are introduced.
Agree on a short list of plants to phase out and discontinue.
Educate the public about the issue and promote non-invasive ornamentals or native plants.
The full Codes of Conduct are available on the Landscape Industry of Hawai‘i website http://www.lichawaii.com/invasive_species.htm.
The Maui Association of Landscape Professionals (MALP) has already signed on to the Codes of Conduct and the O‘ahu Nursery Growers Association and the Kaua‘i Landscape Industry Council have also pledged to abide by the Codes of Conduct.
For more information about the Codes of Conduct contact Christy Martin, Public Information Officer for the statewide Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) and the Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) of Hawai‘i, statewide and island-based partnerships working to protect Hawai‘i from invasive species, at (808) 722-0995. View CGAPS and the ISCs online at www.hear.org/cgaps.
'''The ASLA-Hawai‘i Chapter’s recommended list of potentially invasive plants to avoid using in the green industry can be found online at
http://www.lichawaii.com/Downloads/Invasive/HASLA_survey.pdf. Comments may be sent directly to Chris Dacus via email at Christopher.A.Dacus@hawaii.gov This article was published in the most recent edition of Na Leo O Ka Aina, bi-annual newsletter of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. See more at http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/newsletter/index.htm'''
