Agency scales back area
deemed critical for moth
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has named critical habitats for the endangered Blackburn's sphinx moth on four Hawaiian Islands.
A total of 55,451 acres on Maui, Hawaii, Kahoolawe and Molokai are named as critical to the survival of Hawaii's largest native insect. The final designation, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, is about 44 percent smaller than the acreage originally proposed for the species in June 2002.
The service excluded 11,656 acres of private lands on Maui -- within the Ulupalakua and Haleakala ranches -- after it deemed that the landowners' ongoing conservation activities provide more benefits for the moth than would be provided by critical-habitat designation.
"Both of these landowners have a long history of working with the service and others to conserve Hawaii's native species," said Paul Henson, Fish and Wildlife field supervisor for the Pacific islands. "And both made it clear they may no longer be willing to work with us on these voluntary projects if we designated critical habitat. I have no doubt that in the long run, not only the Blackburn's sphinx moth, but also many other native species will benefit by removing these lands from the final rule."
Also excluded from the final areas were 518 acres in the Kailua-Kona area, where a housing project of more than 1,000 units is planned.
Yesterday's move continues Fish and Wildlife's trend of reducing the size of proposed critical habitat areas from original suggestions by scientists, with the disclaimer that designating an area as critical habitat is not necessarily the best way to foster the revival of an endangered species.
"Critical habitat" is a term in the Endangered Species Act that refers to geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations. This designation was completed in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity.
"Twenty years ago we thought this species was extinct," said Henson. "Blackburn's sphinx moths were once found on most of the main Hawaiian Islands ... in coastal or lowland dry forest habitats, which now have been severely degraded by human activities."
The final rule and other information about the designation are available at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Web site at pacificislands.fws.gov or by calling 808-541-3441.