Department of Land and Natural Resources

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR

CARTY CHANG INTERIM CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate News Release March 2, 2015    

HEROES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES
RECOGNIZED AT CAPITOL CEREMONY

Six Individuals and Five Organizations/Businesses Honored

Honolulu – What do Hawaiian Airlines, volunteers, a National Guardsman, a property management company, plant quarantine inspectors, and a hui of government agencies all have in common? They are all recipients of Invasive Species Achievement Awards today at the wrap-up of the annual Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Week (HISAW) at the Hawaii State Capitol. In addition a tireless worker is recognized with a 2014 National Invasive Species Achievement Award for her efforts in outreach and education.

Hawaiian Airlines was recognized as the 2014 Business Leader for its efforts to prevent invasive species movement for many years through positive collaborations with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (DOA).

Charlotte Yamane of Oahu was recognized as the 2014 Community Hero, for devoting hundreds of hours to remove invasive plants from forests all over Oahu. Laurie Loomis received the 2014 Community Hero Honorable Mention for her volunteer work with the Oahu Army National Resources Program to control invasives across the Waianae Mountain range.

Carmel Partners and Island Topsoil received the 2014 Greatest Hit award for their actions and follow-up work after a major Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) breeding site was identified at Iroquois Point in June.

The Hottest Hotline Report to 643-Pest was awarded to Rick Yamamoto of the Hawaii Air National Guard for his quick actions in reporting a 2-foot long black lizard running across the pavement at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH).

Hawaii Island’s MVP award goes to Rick Wlosinski of HELCO for his contributions toward assessing risks and costs of albizia hazard removal. The Maui Nui MVP was awarded to the Maui DOA Plant Quarantine Inspectors for regularly going above and beyond. The Oahu MVP award was presented to the CRB Response team, made up of representatives from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), DOA, and JBPHH; for the emergency response effort following CRB detection at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The Kauai MVP award was presented to Michelle Clark of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for being a strong leader in mongoose detection and prevention efforts.

Christy Martin, the director of the State Coordinating Group on Alien Plant Species is the first-ever Hawaii recipient of a National Invasive Species Achievement Award. She has spent her career working to promote and progress critical issues on all fronts in the field of invasive species control and eradication. She received her award at a ceremony at the U.S. Dept. of Interior in Washington on Feb. 25.

 

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Media Contact:

Dan Dennison
Senior Communications Manager
DLNR
(808) 587-0320