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Landowners get funds
for native flora, fauna

Star-Bulletin staff

Private landowners will receive more than $200,000 as part of a program, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to encourage conservation of endangered plants and animals.

The projects to be funded will benefit native Hawaiian plants, tree snails, forest birds and insects located on five different islands.

All landowners are contributing additional funding.

Paul Henson, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Islands office, said, "What I find extraordinary is the number of private landowners here who are more than willing to work with us in an effort to save Hawaii's native species."

Almost 70 percent of the funding available to six western state went to Hawaii, Henson said.

The largest project provides $90,130 to The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii to protect 27 plant species from feral pigs in the Honouliuli Preserve on Oahu. A 70-acre area in central Kalua'a Gulch will be fenced to protect existing species and provide a site where critically endangered plants may be reintroduced.

The Nature Conservancy will also receive $30,000 for its Kapunakea Preserve in the West Maui Mountains. The projects will involve removing feral pigs and alien plants from existing fenced areas that protect at least 22 species of rare plants, four native forest birds, and four species of rare Hawaiian tree snails.

On the Big Island, the North Kona Dry Forest Working Group will receive $72,000 to re-establish populations of nine endangered plants, and provide a habitat for the Blackburn's sphinx moth. The 70-acre Ka'upulehu Dry Forest is owned by Kamehameha Schools, which leases it to PIA Kona Limited Partnership.

On Lanai, $27,500 has been given to the Lanai Co. to construct a fence around roughly 10 acres on the summit of Lanaihale to protect native plants and tree snails, and for the removal of alien plants.