Signs and stations escalate war on rapid ohia death

State officials are stepping up their campaign against rapid ohia death on Kauai by installing signs and boot-brush stations at key points around the island.

Signs that warn hikers and hunters they are entering an area where the disease has been detected will initially be installed on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property behind Anahola Mountain. That’s where Ceratocystis lukuohia, the more aggressive of the two diseases, was detected in three trees in December.

Since then 11 more trees tested positive for the disease while 15 others tested positive for the second type of pathogen causing rapid ohia death, Ceratocystis huliohia, officials said Friday.

Since its discovery on the Big Island more than five years ago, rapid ohia death has been found in more than 135,000 acres of forest, killing millions of ohia trees.

The disease was discovered on Kauai nearly a year ago.

Since then a multiagency working group has been conducting regular islandwide aerial surveys to identify suspect trees, on-the-ground tree sampling and other management activities, as well as outreach to educate residents and visitors on how to prevent the disease’s spread.

C. lukuohia can kill a tree within weeks and is responsible for wiping out 90 percent of the trees destroyed by rapid ohia death on the Big Island. The other pathogen that causes rapid ohia death, Ceratocystis huliohia, can take months to years to kill a tree.

There is no known cure for either fungus. The fungal pathogens that infect ohia with rapid ohia death can be spread in soil that sticks to footwear, gear and tires.

On Kauai the new signs will ask people to stay on established trails, avoid injuring ohia, clean shoes and boots, pressure-wash off-road vehicles before entering the forest and wash gear and clothing in hot soapy water.

“We’re all committed to doing everything possible to stop the spread of rapid ohia death, and having this information at our trailheads will definitely help hikers and hunters understand how the simple steps they take now can potentially stop the spread of (rapid ohia death) to additional areas,” said Kawika Smith, Kauai’s Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program coordinator, in a news release.

There are plans to install additional signs at more than two dozen Na Ala Hele trailheads with the message, “Attention: Please brush your shoes before and after you hike.”

In the past few months, officials on Kauai have escalated their outreach by passing out Garden Island- specific brochures, flyers and other educational materials, they said.

Additionally, there have been workshops on bio-sanitation practices for ecotourism operators and conservation-minded groups, and the “Saving ‘Ohi‘a” documentary has been shown in various public venues.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority provided funds for the signs and boot-brush stations, officials said.

Kauai’s rapid-response team includes scientists and managers from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kauai Invasive Species Committee, The Nature Conservancy, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kaua‘i Watershed Alliance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Hawaii.