Endangered species get boost from pact with Kamehameha Schools

Kamehameha Schools entered into an agreement with state and federal agencies Friday that targets the recovery of 32 federally endangered species and one threatened species on the island of Hawaii.

The agreement — the largest of its kind in the nation involving a single landowner — covers 32,2017 acres of Keauhou and Kilauea forestland on the southeastern slopes of Mauna Loa and owned by Kamehameha Schools.

Under the 50-year voluntary pact, the landowner will work to improve the habitat for the species in exchange for formal assurances from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv­ice that it will not require any additional or different management activities without their consent.

In addition, at the end of the 50-year period, the property can be returned to the base-line conditions that existed at the beginning of the agreement.

The agreement, signed with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, includes an Enhancement of Survival Permit and Incidental Take License that gives Kamehameha flexibility while working to improve habitat across the larger landscape, said Jason Jeremiah, Kamehameha’s director of natural and cultural resources.

“This Safe Harbor Agreement encourages landowners to improve their habitat and restore their forests for endangered species to flourish,” Gov. David Ige said in a news release. “It establishes a baseline for existing levels of endangered species, allowing landowners to adopt more environmentally friendly land management practices without penalizing them if endangered species move into the area. I thank Kamehameha Schools for leading the way for Hawaii landowners to restore native landscapes.”

As part of the agreement, Kamehameha conducted studies that establish base-line populations of the endangered species found on its property.

The agreement targets the recovery of federally endangered species, including the Hawaii creeper, Hawaii akepa, akiapoloaau, io (Hawaiian hawk), nene (Hawaiian goose), alala (Hawaiian crow) opeapea (Hawaiian hoary bat) and the iiwi, which is listed as threatened. It also covers 25 endangered plant species.

Jeremiah said Kamehameha Schools is dedicated to being a good steward of its land, spending roughly $3 million annually to protect and improve its 363,000-acre portfolio, about half of which is in conservation.

“We feel a kuleana and responsibility to take care of our lands and ensure the survival of our cultural and natural heritage,” he said.

Kamehameha’s stewardship already has contributed to the preservation of some of the last remaining intact native forests in Hawaii, according to the agreement. Much of the Kilauea forest has never been logged and is home to what officials describe as “high quality habitat” thanks in large part to fencing and the pig-removal efforts of Kamehameha and its partners, including the Three Mountain Alliance.

Conservation activities to be conducted under the agreement include removal of predators, restoration outplanting, planting of koa trees, fencing and pig control, weed control, fire threat management and response to rapid ohia death.

According to the agreement, the targeted property will augment a larger, neighboring area of protection that includes Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa Forest Reserve and Kipuka Ainahou Nene Sanctuary.

Jeremiah said Kamehameha has been working toward this agreement for 20 years.

“Healthy, functioning native ecosystems are the foundation of Hawaiian cultural identity and well-being,” Kamehameha ecologist Namaka Whitehead said. “Stewarding our aina to be more resilient ensures that future generations will continue to have a relationship with the native species and ecological processes that make us who we are.”

Other safe-harbor agreements in Hawaii include one covering the reintroduction of the nene on Molokai, one for koloa (Hawaiian duck) and nene on Umikoa Ranch on the Big Island and another covering the introduction of nene to Piiholo Ranch on Maui.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say safe-harbor agreements are important as a way of getting private property owners involved in protecting endangered and threatened species.

Some property owners, they say, are reluctant to undertake conservation activities that support or attract listed species because they fear future property-use restrictions related to the Endangered Species Act. The safe-harbor agreement eliminates that fear, they say.