REQUESTING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO IDENTIFY EXISTING LARGE TREES ALONG EVACUATION ROUTES AND TRIM, SPRAY, OR REMOVE TREES HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO OBSTRUCT THE EVACUATION ROUTE; CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIFIC HIGH-RISK TREES; IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES IN URBAN FORESTRY; AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVES.

This resolution requests Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) to address trees that could block evacuation routes during emergencies. Specifically, HIEMA must identify large trees along evacuation paths, trim or remove hazardous ones, conduct risk assessments for high-risk trees, and adopt proven urban forestry practices like proper pruning and storm-resistant tree selection. It also directs HIEMA to strengthen community education on evacuation procedures while preserving environmental resilience. The resolution directly affects HIEMA's operations and indirectly benefits all Hawaii residents, particularly those in coastal communities relying on clear evacuation routes.