Maui-Kahoolawe plan
reduces critical habitatThe rule by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service is criticized
by environmentalists
WAILUKU >> Environmental groups have criticized a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to cut back proposed critical habitats for endangered species on Maui and Kahoolawe.
But major Maui landowner Haleakala Ranch said the agency made the right decision in exempting lands where owners are trying to protect endangered species.
>The Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday it had designated in a final rule 93,200 acres of land as critical habitat on Maui, a 26 percent decrease from the 126,531 acres initially proposed in April 2002.
The agency also reduced the designation on Kahoolawe by nearly 85 percent, to 2,915 acres from 18,984.
The rule, which becomes effective in 30 days, affects lands mainly in the upper elevations of East and West Maui.
Fifty-five percent of the acreage designated as critical habitat is held by the state or local government, with the remainder almost evenly divided between private and federal ownership. About 80 percent of the total acreage is within the state's conservation district.
Dave Allen, the service's Pacific regional director, said almost 26,300 acres on Maui were excluded from critical habitat because they already were being adequately managed to protect listed endangered species.
Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations. Within these areas any use of federal money or workers requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate the proposed actions as to whether they could harm the endangered species.
But some private landowners are concerned that the interpretation of "special management" could result in stricter federal oversight of what they can do with their land.
Sierra Club Director Jeff Mikulina said his group is worried that by striking bargains with these landowners, the federal agency will not get as much information about endangered species and that the habitats will not get adequate protection.
David Henkin, an Earthjustice staff attorney, said his group believes the agency did not apply the law correctly in excluding certain areas as critical habitats for landowners who had good environmental management practices.
"Its decision is illegal and even bad policy," Henkin said.
Henkin said one of the excluded areas, the state's Hanawi Natural Area Reserve in East Maui, has been "chronically underfunded."
Haleakala Ranch land steward Richard Sylva said ranchers supported the reduction in critical habitats because they were afraid of the potential economic impact.
Sylva said landowners have been participating in conservation programs, including watershed partnerships, and are more inclined to expand their preservation activities on a voluntary basis.
"We're much more responsive to the carrot than the stick," Sylva said.
In the rule, the Fish and Wildlife Service excluded lands within Waikamoi and Kapunakea Preserves, managed by the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii.
The agency also excluded 16,657 acres of land within Maui Land & Pineapple Co.'s Puu Kukui Watershed Management Area in the West Maui Mountains.
Also excluded were 9,622 acres within five proposed critical-habitat units on private lands owned by Ulupalakua and Haleakala ranches.
Allen said both ranches have taken many voluntary actions to conserve, protect and restore native habitats on their lands.
Stanton Enomoto, acting executive director for the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission, said his agency concurred with the action. Enomoto said the commission's main focus was on preserving the kanaloa plant species and its habitat.
