Kauai habitat could LIHUE >> A proposal to declare almost 4,000 acres as critical habitat for two endangered animals that live only on Kauai could cost the island's economy almost $2 billion over the next 18 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said yesterday.
cost isle $2 billion
A proposed critical habitat aims to
protect 2 endangered animalsBy Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.comThe area is between Koloa and Poipu, Kauai's largest resort area. Most of it is now fallow former sugar land. But the property owners say development is in their plans.
The 170-page proposal prepared by the Fish and Wildlife Service is designed to protect the Kauai cave amphipod, a shrimplike creature that feeds on plant roots, and the Kauai cave wolf spider, which feeds on the amphipods. Both animals are blind and found only in caves on Kauai's south shore.
Publication of the proposal opens a 30-day public comment period. No hearings on the issue are planned.
The Fish and Wildlife Service insists the designation applies only to projects by federal agencies or developers using federal funds or requiring federal permits.
But the agency also noted it is illegal for anyone to "take" (which includes killing) any endangered species without a federal permit and developers risk breaking the law by building in critical habitat areas.
The Fish and Wildlife Service conceded most of the 3,955 acres it proposes to designate as critical habitat "contain areas planned for residential, resort, commercial, industrial and/or golf courses development." The area includes the Poipu Bay Golf Course where the PGA Grand Slam will be played Nov. 25-27.
Economists hired by the Fish and Wildlife Service estimate the critical-habitat designation would take between $742 million and $1.9 billion out of Kauai's economy through 2020.
The figures represent hotels, restaurants, ships and homes that may not be built because they would endanger the two animals.
"That's a worst-case scenario," said Paul Henson, Pacific Islands field officer for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
"In 99 percent of these situations, we find some technical or geographic means of dealing with the conflict. Development can take place as long as the preservation of the species is assured.
"Of all the critical habitat designations we're doing, this is one of the most difficult because you can't see them and they're recently discovered by science, so not much is known about them," Henson said.
But the largest landowner in the area said the Fish and Wildlife Service is designating far too much property as critical habitat.
Mike Furukawa, vice president of Grove Farm Properties Inc., which owns 2,600 of the 3,955 acres, said he believes the federal agency is purposely "low-balling" the estimates of economic impact and the actual figure may be much higher.
"It's in their interests to keep the estimated figures low because economic impact is a major factor in deciding on the designation of critical habitat," Furukawa said.
Furukawa said he doubts the caves inhabited by the two animals extend throughout the entire 4,000 acres, but there is no way to prove it.
Grove Farm was bought two years ago by Steve Case, founder of America Online. The other two major property owners in the area are the Knudsen Trust and Alexander & Baldwin Properties Inc.
County of Kauai
