HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOSECURITY

On July 28, 2026, pursuant to interim rule, the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (Board) authorized restrictions on the transportation of coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), Oryctes rhinoceros, host materials, including live plants of any size if there is any organic material attached to the roots, including potted plants and sod; bare-rooted plants with CRB damage; untreated decomposing plant material, such as mulch, trimmings, fruit and vegetative scraps, wood, stumps, compost, soil, plant propagation media, including commercially bagged plant propagation media, erosion socks, erosion mats, or gravel not free of organic material; and coconut fruit. The interim rule authorizes the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) to restrict the transportation of CRB host materials from other islands in the State to the islands of Maui and Lanai, effective July 29, 2026.

The DAB is authorized to establish interim rules when the importation or movement of any flora or fauna, in the absence of effective rules, creates a situation dangerous to public health and safety or to the ecological health of flora or fauna present in the State which is so immediate in nature as to constitute an emergency. Due to the establishment of CRB on Oahu and Kauai, ongoing eradication efforts occurring on West Hawaii Island, CRB detections and eradication efforts on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, and a finding by the Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals on July 17, 2026, that the movement of CRB host material constitutes an emergency, the Board determined that restricting the transportation of CRB host materials is necessary to minimize the spread of CRB from all other islands of the State to the islands of Maui and Lanai. A link to interim rule 26-2 can be found online at https://dab.hawaii.gov/.

Pursuant to interim rule 26-2, the following restrictions shall apply. 1) all plants transported to Maui and Lanai from another island must be free of any organic material attached to the roots (barerooted) and show no sign of damage caused by CRB; 2) Barerooted plants may be transported to Maui and Lanai after inspection and approval by the DAB. Plants showing signs of damage caused by CRB shall not be approved for transport; 3) Decomposing plant material, including mulch, trimmings, fruit and vegetative scraps, wood, stumps, compost, soil, plant propagation media, including commercially bagged plant propagation media, erosion control socks or mats, or gravel not free of organic material must have undergone evidence-based or approved treatment to kill all life stages of CRB. The protocol, completion of treatment, storage, and transportation plan must be approved in writing by the DAB prior to transport to Maui and Lanai; 4) Potted plants and other CRB host material that originated from another state that is transshipped to Maui or Lanai through another area in the state must be enclosed in a CRB-resistant container and: 5) Imported erosion control mats and socks that are stored in unopened containers or have been stored in an enclosed facility with low risk of CRB exposure may be transported to Maui and Lanai after inspection by the DAB to confirm no signs of CRB damage. All CRB host materials approved for shipment to Maui and Lanai may undergo a secondary inspection upon arrival by the DAB. If the DAB determines treatment, storage, or transportation conditions have materially changed, were premised on mistake, or previously misrepresented to the DAB, the DAB may revoke or otherwise terminate an approval. This interim rule supersedes and controls over Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 4-72-23(d) exceptions for the transportation of CRB host material. Any treated material, other than living plants, showing signs of CRB damage shall be quarantined for a period of not less than 2 weeks at the owner’s expense and subject to re-treatment. Any material found to be hosting CRB shall be destroyed at the expense of the owner or the owner’s agent.

The restriction does not apply to plant products intended for consumption, such as fruits (except coconut fruit), nuts, edible leaves, leaves used for cooking, and spices; plant products preserved from decay by treatment or use, such as lumber, woven hats, dried and painted coconuts, wooden posts, wood carvings, and firewood; seeds for planting; cut flowers and foliage for decoration, such as lei, floral bouquets, or arrangements; rock, coral, gravel and sand, not mixed with any organic material; potted plants in pots no greater than 2 inches in diameter, using media that has been sterilized before use, grown entirely in a laboratory, and transported in containers that prevent CRB infestation, after inspection and approval by the DAB; and tissue cultured or other micro-propagated live plants in sterile tissue culture media. Additionally, interim rule 26-2 does not impose restrictions on CRB host materials transported between the islands of Maui and Lanai.

The restriction applies to all persons, nurseries, retailers, distributors of CRB host materials, mulch/compost producers, and to any individual or entity that moves or transports CRB host material interisland to the islands of Maui and Lanai from any other area of the State.
(SA/HTH/WHT/TGI1536251 8/21/26)