Description:
H.R. 1726 would require the Department of the Interior to work with various federal agencies, the State of Hawaii, and private landowners to address Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), a fungal disease of Hawaii’s ‘ōhi‘a lehua trees. Specifically, the bill would require the Forest Service to provide financial assistance to prevent the spread of ROD, restore native Hawaiian forests, and conduct ROD research at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Many federal, state, and local agencies engage in work to understand and address ROD through research, surveys, disease control, and collaborative engagement. On that basis and considering the costs of similar tasks, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1726 would cost about $5 million in 2024 (with costs growing each year to account for anticipated inflation) and $30 million over the 2023-2028 period for ongoing research and restoration activities; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
