A sizable body of useful alien species information and practical field control experience does in fact exist in Hawaii, but much of it is not available in one place or in a form that managers in many different agencies can readily access or use. The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project was conceived by representatives of a number of local agencies and funded by the Biological Resources Division of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS/BRD) to help in alleviating some of these data availability problems. The basic premises of the HEAR project are as follows: (a) Given some agreed-upon sub-set of "high-priority" harmful alien species; (b) Given easy access to electronic databases containing certain essential biological-ecological information; and (c) Given reliable, affordable, and updateable maps showing the spatial distribution of the targeted species, then the agencies charged with alien species control will be able to make better-informed decisions than they are able to do today, initiate control operations in a more efficient and coordinated manner, and measure the effectiveness of those operations over time. For more information call (808)572-4472, e-mail pt@hear.org or visit www.hear.org.