The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity voted to temporarily block the transportation of certain green materials to the island.

The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture took “historic” steps Tuesday to keep the coconut rhinoceros beetle from reaching Molokaʻi, passing a strict interim rule that blocks the transport of all green waste and gardening materials to the island for one year.

The new rule prevents the movement of materials regardless of the infestation status of the place of origin. State plant quarantine branch manager Jonathan Ho called it unprecedented.

Two previous interim rules enacted by the department only limited materials leaving Oʻahu and did not include new infestation sites on Kauaʻi and West Hawaiʻi. The steps the board took Tuesday represent an escalation as th

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