U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Kilauea Point

Land Conservation Planning Study, Planning Update 4

AlohaThis is the final Planning Updatefrom the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService (Service) announcing thedecision to expand the KilaueaPoint National Wildlife Refuge(Refuge), Kaua’i County, Hawai’i.

The Final Decision

Availability of thePlanning DocumentsThe LCP/EA and the FONSI areavailable on the Service’s websitehttp://pacific.fws.gov/planningor at the Refuge’s headquarters.Appendix D of the LCP/EA includesthe comments we received on theLCP/EA during the public commentperiod held May 15 to June 15, 2007.The Service’s responses tocomments are included as well.

The Service has decided to adoptand implement Alternative D, thePreferred Alternative, asdescribed in the Kilauea PointNational Wildlife Refuge LandConservation Plan andEnvironmental Assessment(LCP/EA). Under the selectedalternative, the Service will seekto expand the Refuge by 202acres. The decision is documentedin a Finding of No Significant

Impact (FONSI). This decisionconcludes the Refuge expansionplanning process. The Service andlandowners within the expansionarea who are interested in sellingtheir land or an interest in theirland, such as an easement, orpursuing other forms of conservationactivities, can now work togetherto protect priority habitats. Habitatconservation is dependent upon theavailability of funding.

Results of Public ReviewThe purpose of public outreachwas to identify and analyze thepublic’s perspective on theproposed expansion, manage-ment, and alternatives beingconsidered for protecting theexpansion area as legislatedunder the Kilauea Point WildlifeRefuge Expansion Act of 2004

(Expansion Act). In addition tothe public comments voiced at theopen house, the Service receivedwritten comments in the form ofletters and e-mail messages. Abrief summary of public commentsand Service responses, organizedby subject area, is provided on thefollowing pages.

In This Issue:Area and Public Access Maps......page 5Contacts............................................page 6

With the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge expansion the Service can protect important estuary and wetland habitat to aidin the recovery of the federally-listed endangered Koloa Maoli (Hawaiian Duck). Photo: Brenda Zaun, USFWS.

National Wildlife Refuge

September 2007

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Results of Public Review continued . . .

Support for expanding the Refuge under Alternative D.The Service received many comments supportingAlternative D as the best choice for protecting thecoastal and riverine habitats identified for protection inthe Expansion Act. Commenters supportedAlternative D because it will protect coastal habitatfrom development; protect lowland streamenvironments and freshwater habitats; and preserveremaining natural areas and native plants and animals,especially seabirds and endangered species. Somecommenters supported Alternative D for publicrecreational activities on these lands.

Service response: Comments noted. We appreciate thesupport.

Opposition to expanding the Refuge. One commentdescribed the area as low use, with minimal impactsby local people and tourists, concluding that Refugeexpansion is unnecessary. The commenter explainedfurther that development is not a threat under privateownership because the parcels are designated by theCounty as Special Management Areas (SMA), thereare no big development plans, and the area iscontrolled by the citizens of Kaua’i, local residents,the Kilauea Neighborhood Association, the County,and Kaua’i Public Land Trust. One major reason thecommenter opposed the Refuge expansion is concernthat the only access provided would be on Servicerun tours. The commenter disagreed with usingalbatross as a justification for the Refuge expansion.

Service response. Development plans have beenpursued in this area. Fragile habitats and sensitivewildlife species can be threatened by developmentthrough destruction of habitat and interaction withinvasive species such as cats, rats, pigs, and non-native plants. Numerous wildlife species have beencompletely eliminated since human arrival on Kaua’i,and human caused threats to wildlife continue. TheState of Hawai’i leads the nation in the number offederally listed endangered species, most of whichare on the list due to human activities.

The Service has no plans to close public access.Access to the beach from the two dedicated Countyright-of-way roads will continue to be provided.Should the area be developed by private landowners,public access to developed areas would most likelybe prohibited.

Albatross are present in the area, but are notendangered, and were not used as a justification forRefuge expansion. Protecting habitat for theendangered Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian duck, Hawaiiancoot, Hawaiian gallinule, Hawaiian goose, monk seal,and green sea turtle were used as partial justificationfor the Refuge expansion.

Service response. The Service would seek to purchaselands within the Refuge expansion area from willingsellers with monies appropriated by Congress underthe Land and Water Conservation Fund, and wouldpursue other sources of funding as well. Federal lawrequires the Service to offer landowners fair marketvalue for their land based on a professional real estateappraisal completed in accordance with the UniformStandards for Federal Land Acquisitions. The appraisalis reviewed by an Interior Department ReviewAppraiser to insure all purchase offers properly reflectthe sale prices of comparable properties in the vicinity.

High priority habitats couldbe protected in the expansionarea for the endangered‘Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua(Hawaiian monk seal) andHonu (Green sea turtle). Photos: USFWS.

Fencing the Refuge. Several commenters did notwant the Service to fence the boundaries of KilaueaValley, which would interfere with property ownersview easements in the Kilauea Agricultural Subdivision.

Service response. The Service does not intend to fencethe Refuge expansion boundaries unless it is necessaryto protect Refuge resources (e.g., prevent dogs fromkilling wildlife).

Land acquisition program. Commenters asked howthe Service would finance land purchases within theexpansion area and ensure limited public money is spent.

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Wildlife conservation and archeological sites. Onecommenter encouraged the Service to increase thebat population. A few commenters wanted to see theService make a strong commitment to identifying andprotecting cultural, historic, and archeological sites.

Service response. The Service will specifically addressthe management of bat habitat in the Refuge’sComprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP). Planningfor the CCP is scheduled to begin in Spring 2008. TheService will likely design specific managementstrategies to benefit Hawaiian bats and their habitat,such as protecting old coconut trees with hangingdead leaves, favorite roosting areas for endangeredHawaiian hoary bats.

The Service will comply with the National HistoricPreservation Act of 1966 and other cultural resourcepreservation laws, and consult with the State HistoricPreservation Office and appropriate Native Hawaiianorganizations for protection of cultural, historic, andarcheological sites. The Service will continue to workwith the local community to identify these sites andaddress their protection during the CCP planningprocess. The Service is not planning any developmentin the Refuge expansion area.

Public use and public access. Several commentersexpressed interest in fishing in the Refuge expansionarea. One commenter requested the Service to maintainand promote recreational fishing in the Kilauea Riverestuary for Samoan and mango crab, mullet, largemouth bass, shrimp, and o’opu (in the upper reaches).

Habitats within the Refuge expansionarea are utilized by a number ofseabird and migratory bird species,including (clockwise) the Moli(Laysan albatross), Kolea (Pacificgolden plover), and `Iwa (Greatfrigatebird.) Photos and illustrationUSFWS.

A few commenters requested the Service to allowthe traditional method of catching mullet in theKilauea River using water slapping to chase mulletinto gillnets. Other commenters expressed concernsabout gillnet fishing and would like gillnet fishing tobe banned. One commenter requested the Serviceto establish an off-shore marine preserve as part ofthe Refuge, and ban gillnet fishing in Kilauea Riverand offshore.

Several commenters were interested in seeing theService develop an environmental education andinterpretation program for the Refuge expansionarea using local volunteers in development andimplementation of the program.

Many commenters requested unlimited access toKilauea Falls for the local community. Some peoplesuggested a training program for local volunteersto lead guided interpretative tours to Kilauea Falls.A couple commenters inquired about paid internshipopportunities at the Refuge for local people interestedin entering careers in wildlife management andrelated fields. A few people suggested the Servicecreate a trail, as natural as possible, to Kilauea Falls.Several people requested the Service to keep theentire expansion area in a natural state with nobathrooms, fences, or signs advertising the Falls.Others suggested encouraging volunteers to helpwith habitat restoration in the Kilauea River Valley.

Commenters requested access for swimming,snorkeling, kayaking, and subsistence fishing andgathering including the harvest of fern shootsalong the stream. One commenter stated thatvehicular access to Kahili Beach (Rock Quarry) isvery important to the community, access should beprovided via Wailapa Road on the east and RockQuarry Road on the west but no vehicles on theBeach, and additional parking is necessary.

One commenter stated public bathrooms and parkingnear the Beach are important, and suggestedrestricted hours of access (sunup to sundown). Onecommenter would like access after dark to the dunesand trees next to the Beach. Another commenterrequested that motorcycle use be stopped on Parcels1, 2, 4, and 6. Many commenters disagreed withseverely decreased public access to Crater Hill.

Service response. The Service will seek to facilitatefishing, wildlife observation and photography, andenvironmental education and interpretation,

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Results of Public Review continued . . .

Thank you for participating in the planning process for the Kilauea PointNational Wildlife Refuge expansion. Please contact us for more information.

compatible with Refuge purposes. These wildlife-dependent uses, and perhaps others, will be evaluatedin depth during the CCP planning process. TheService plans to facilitate recreational fishingopportunities consistent with State regulations butit is unlikely commercial enterprises will be allowed.Beach access to surf and swim, and River access tokayak and enjoy waterfowl will be preserved underService ownership.

The Service will evaluate the harvesting of plantsduring development of the CCP. We plan to work withcommunity leaders and other interested parties toestablish a protocol by which traditional gathering andother culturally related requests may be exercised in amanner that would avoid disturbing sensitive nestingareas. Hikes, guided and unguided, to Kilauea Fallswill be considered during development of the CCP.

Even if the Service acquires land within the expansionarea, the Service would not have jurisdiction overState-owned Kahili Beach, Kilauea River (as navi-gable waters under Federal law, Kilauea River isopen to the public), Rock Quarry County Road, orthe County’s public pedestrian easement to KahiliBeach. Federal regulations require all vehicles(motorcycles, ATVs, trucks, cars) driven on anyrefuge, and all operators, to be licensed and insuredas per State regulations, and vehicles are restricted toestablished roads only. Off road driving is prohibited.

Unrestricted access to Crater Hill was prohibitedin the deed. The Refuge, within the last year, hasrefenced the “donut area” at the end of the pavedroad thus reopening a portion of Crater Hill for publicenjoyment. The Refuge is currently reconstructingthe upper overlook and has plans to reopen theCrater Hill hike in 2008.

ATS study and tourism. Several people voicedconcern with the ATS Transportation Study, par-ticularly the consideration of buses or trams. Onecommenter said Refuge neighbors would ratherhave cars than tour buses on the local roads. Many

people requested the Service to not advertise theRefuge expansion area in order to avoid causing ahigher rate of use and congestion negatively impact-ing wildlife and the community. One commenter re-quested the Service to avoid making the Refuge aDisneyland with emphasis on t-shirts, coffee cups,booklets, tour guides, controlled hiking paths, lawenforcement officers, fences, and signs.

Service response. The Service is interested in minimizingthe negative impacts of public visitation to Refugewildlife and the local community. Alternative solutionsto the traffic problems at the Refuge will be addressedin the CCP. Any proposed alternatives should havelittle to no bearing on the Refuge expansion landsacquired in the Kilauea River Valley because theService has no intention of directing tourists to theKilauea River area, from either the existing Refuge,Rock Quarry Road, or Wailapa Road. The Servicehas no plans to build any structures within theexpanded Refuge boundary, except interpretivesigns along the trail to the Falls. Refuge boundarysigns will be placed along the property lines of newlyacquired tracts. The boundary signs will be set backfrom roads, and will not serve to guide or invitetourists to the Refuge expansion area.

Refuge facilities. One commenter stated that debrisfrom the boat launch area needs to be removed andlow spots in Rock Quarry Road where water accumu-lates must be repaired (on the rock quarry site). Theculvert at the top of the Road is plugged and needs tobe opened. There also needs to be road improvements,just short of paving, to take the load off Wailapa Road.The boat ramp needs to be repaired as soon as possible.

Service response. The boat launch area has beenreopened and boats can launch as they did in thepast. The needed road repairs are outside the Refugeexpansion boundary and would require a cooperativeeffort with the road’s landowners and affectedneighbors. Because the road leads directly to theRefuge’s Rock Quarry parking area, the Servicewould be interested in assisting with road repairs.

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For Information on the Kaua’i NationalWildlife Refuge Complex Contact:

Visit the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Website at: http://pacificislands.fws.gov/wnwr/kauainwrindex.html

Address correction requested

In this issue:A decision toexpand theKilauea PointNationalWildlifeRefuge hasbeen made.

Michael “Mitch” Mitchell, Deputy Project LeaderKaua’i National Wildlife Refuge ComplexP.O. Box 1128Kilauea, HI 96754Phone: (808) 826-6641 Fax: (808) 828-6634

For Information on Land Acquisition Contact:

Georgia Shirilla, Branch Chief, RealtyU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceDivision of Realty and Refuge Information911 NE 11th AvenuePortland, OR 97232-4181Phone: (503) 231-2236 or toll free (800) 662-8933Fax: (503) 231-6161

Fish and Wildlife ServiceKaua’i National Wildlife Refuge ComplexP.O. Box 1128Kilauea, HI 96754

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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Michael Hawkes, Project LeaderKaua’i National Wildlife Refuge ComplexP.O. Box 1128Kilauea, HI 96754Phone: (808) 828-1413, Fax: (808) 828-6634

Who Do I Contact?