Revoking protections for ‘io a risky idea

THE ISSUE The federal government says the Hawaiian hawk should be removed from the endangered species list.

WITHDRAWING protections for Hawaii's only native hawk will undoubtedly meet resistance despite the federal government's assurances that the 'io population is stable and no longer needs shielding.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove the Hawaiian hawk from the list of endangered species, arguing that with an estimated 3,000 individuals on the Big Island, the population has recovered sufficiently. The agency further contends hawks, earlier thought to live only in native forests, appear to have adapted to pastures and agricultural lands where they forage for food.

The hawk was placed on the endangered list in 1967, but did not receive a recovery plan until 1984, several years after the law was strengthened to require protection for a listed organism's ecosystem, an admission that without habitat it would not thrive or even survive.

Officials say there is currently enough protected land on the Big Island to provide a healthy environment even though hawks typically do not nest in disturbed areas and only seem to breed on the single island.

Independent experts fear that over time, habitat - particularly in forested areas near military reservations - will disappear. Moreover, diseases, such as avian flu, could wipe out the birds because they are concentrated on one island; few, if any, exist on the other islands.

Law requires the agency to monitor the 'io for at least five years after removal to make sure the population doesn't suffer. Should that happen, the hawk could be returned to the list, but it would be difficult under current administrative directives.

Deleting the hawk from the list seems a risky proposition. The agency is seeking public comment on the removal at www.regulations.gov.