HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Could Hawaii get access to more funding to mitigate the coconut rhinoceros beetle problem, or will our trees keep getting cut down? Experts and lawmakers hope to answer this question, and there's a new idea of how to do it. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Experts said CRB-infested pals need to be cut down at public parts to protect the public from falling dead branches. Additionally, the rotting trunks become prime breeding grounds for more beetles. This new interim rule hopes to stop CRB movement throughout the state "It'll start to rot usually from the top down, and they can breed in the rotting standing dead trees or fallen dead trees. They tend to prefer the palms but they can breed in any decaying plant matter," explained Keith Weiser, CRB Response Deputy Incident Commander. The city said at least 100 palms have been removed from West Oahu. State Senator-elect Samantha DeCorte previously served as the Nanakuli-Maili neighborhood board chair and worked with the Urban Forestry Department to replant other types of trees in their place at Tracks Beach Park. "Our solution is to replant. If you're going to cut them down, you've got to replant them. Otherwise, if that's a solution, we're not going to have any more coconut trees. And that's not the answer," said DeCorte. DeCorte added that fresh ideas are needed at the state level if we want to get a grip on the beetle problem. She plans to introduce a bill next session to classify coconut palms as an endangered native plant, which would open up access to federal funding if passed. "We are sounding the alarm on every level we possibly can. This is a threat that could have been addressed over ten years ago and they didn't take it seriously," DeCorte said. There may need to be some work on the exact wording as Weiser said people would question if native is the appropriate term for coconuts. "They're certainly naturalized and I've heard that some people believe that they might have gotten here before people did, which would make them indigenous as far as everything got here at some point," he said. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here According to the City's current policy, when a palm has to be cut down, a shade tree is replanted in the area if the soil can support a young tree. To contact the CRB response team with concerns over dead palms in your area, visit CRB Hawaii's website.