· Maintain the Miconia Hotline with rapid response to all calls,
including site visits and treatment of all reported infestations.
The Miconia Hotline continues to receive calls from the public at rate of
about 13 calls per month. Most reports are generated through public
awareness activities such as distributing "Miconia Wanted" flyers and from
newspaper press releases and public service announcements. Of the 158
calls that came in during the grant period, 91 were followed up by site visits
or phone calls, and the remaining 67 calls were previously mapped core and
satellite sites.
As reports come in they are assigned a category from 1 to 5. Category 1 reports are possible new sites. Category 2 reports may be new but are within the expected range of known trees. Category 3 reports are usually roadside plants in highly visible areas. Category 4 reports are residents that have miconia on their own property. Category 5 includes all the well known sites or older established stands, i.e., Onomea, and Leilani Estates.
· Continue proactive solicitation of exact information on Miconia
locations from the public and cooperators (e.g., helicopter pilots, tree trimmers,
linesmen, government extension agents, nurseries, garden stores, commercial
horticulturists, and landscaping professionals).
Dozens of 8.5" x 11" Miconia Wanted posters were laminated and put
up throughout neighborhoods and general stores in areas suspect of miconia
and where the field teams are working. Posters were tied to trees along
trails to miconia sites in forest areas of Hilo and Puna and flyers were
left at hunter stations.
· Provide written instructions for homeowners/renters for treating
and reporting Miconia. Distribute decontamination information to all
operators of heavy equipment working in infested areas.
At sites where populations were once large with hundreds or thousands of
mature trees, Operation Miconia staff encourages residents to treat their
own trees if they are able to. Instructions by demonstration, followed
up with the written information are provided to residents, especially to
those with a large miconia problem. Most sites are affected only by
seedlings and saplings, and we explain to residents that continually pulling
them up will prevent the need for heribicides and special handling in the
future.
During neighborhood surveys, bulldozers and graders, etc. and their operators,
are sometimes found at or near miconia sites. Staff take this opportunity
to bring miconia awareness to these outdoors workers. We find that
some have called the hotline in the past. Heavy equipment operators
are asked to pay closer attention to the areas they work, and to notify us
if they see miconia. Miconia Wanted and How-To flyers are given to them.
We talk about how the equipment could be potential carriers of miconia to
uninfested areas, and that carefully cleaning the dozer or chipper before
transporting it to a new location would be a
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Big Island Invasive Species Committee/Operation Miconia 16 East Lanikaula Street - Hilo, Hawaii - 96720 Ph: (808) 961-3299 - Hotline & Voice Mail Alt. Ph: (808) 974-4140 - Office & Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Reception Desk FAX: (808) 974-4148 |
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