HR 375: Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025

HR 375 in plain English: This bill directs multiple federal agencies to research and combat Rapid Ohia Death, a fungal disease threatening the native Hawaiian tree Metrosideros polymorpha. It requires the Departments of Interior and Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service to coordinate with Hawaii on disease control, research, ungulate management, and forest restoration. The Forest Service would also provide financial assistance and infrastructure funding to support these efforts.

Stated purpose

This bill requires federal agencies to continue working with the State of Hawaii to research, control, and respond to Rapid Ohia Death, a fungal disease that kills the native ohia tree in Hawaii. It directs agencies to study how the disease spreads, manage animals that may help spread it, provide financial help, and support forest restoration efforts.

Key points

• Requires the Department of the Interior to partner with USDA and Hawaii to control Rapid Ohia Death.
• Directs federal agencies to continue researching how the fungal disease spreads and is transmitted.
• Requires management of deer and other ungulates in disease control areas on federal, state, and private land.
• Directs the Forest Service to provide financial assistance to prevent the fungus from spreading and to restore Hawaii's native forests.

Arguments supporters make

• The ohia tree is ecologically vital to Hawaii and supports countless native species, so a coordinated federal response helps protect an irreplaceable natural resource before the disease spreads further.
• Bringing multiple federal agencies together with state and local partners creates a more effective, unified response than any single agency could manage alone.
• Continued research funding helps scientists better understand how the fungus spreads, which is essential to finding long-term solutions and preventing similar crises in other forests.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill directs agencies to 'continue' existing efforts but does not set specific funding amounts, leaving it unclear whether resources will actually increase or the bill will have meaningful real-world impact.
• Managing animals like deer on private land, even with consent requirements, could raise concerns among landowners about federal reach into local and private land decisions.
• Federal resources spent on a disease affecting one state's forests could be seen as a lower priority compared to other national agricultural or environmental threats competing for the same funding.

Tradeoffs

Directing multiple federal agencies to focus resources on a single state's forest disease may benefit Hawaii's unique ecosystem but draws staff and funding that could otherwise address broader national conservation or agricultural needs. Requiring private landowner consent protects property rights but may limit how effectively the disease can be controlled across all affected land.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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