A large stretch of Kamehameha Schools land in Ka‘u is on track to become a recovery zone for endangered species.
A large stretch of Kamehameha Schools land in Ka‘u is on track to become a recovery zone for endangered species.
Kamehameha Schools is applying for a 50-year safe harbor agreement with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife for the 32,280-acre property on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa.
A safe harbor agreement is a means of allowing private landowners to participate in conservation practices alongside federal and state agencies.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the practice was devised because some property owners did not want to encourage endangered species to their land for fear of incurring land-use restrictions as a result of the Endangered Species Act.
With a safe harbor agreement in place, in exchange for “voluntary conservation commitments,” private landowners receive assurance that these restrictions will not be imposed.
According to a DLNR statement released Tuesday, the ultimate goal of a safe harbor agreement is to increase the baseline habitat area for recovering species, as well as the number of individual species.
In Hawaii, safe harbor agreements previously were put in place to address nene recovery.
James Cogswell, a wildlife biologist with the DLNR, said in an email that the Kamehameha Schools agreement will be the largest in the nation in terms of the number of endangered and threatened species covered.
In addition to the nene, the agreement will promote recovery of the Hawaii creeper, akepa, ‘akiapola‘au, ‘i‘iwi, ‘io, ‘alala and Hawaiian hoary bat, as well as 25 endangered plant species.
The land in question is bordered by several state- and federal-managed lands, including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa Forest Reserve, Kapapala Forest Reserve, Kipuka Ainahou Nene Sanctuary and Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve. This means the safe harbor agreement will “augment a contiguous area of protection,” according to the draft agreement.
The DLNR states that “overall, the plan will increase the likelihood of recovery of the covered species and result in a net environmental benefit.”
A public hearing is slated for 6 p.m. today at the Volcano School of Art &Sciences. Those unable to attend and provide comment can submit written testimony to katherine.cullison@hawaii.gov. The deadline for testimony is Dec. 22.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.