Park plans to remove feral plants, animals on former ranch
WAILUKU >> An $830,000 proposal would remove feral animals like pigs and goats from Haleakala National Park land.
The Maui News reports people have until July 14 to provide comments on a draft environmental impact statement released June 12.
Plans call for restoring the area’s natural habitat by removing non-native plants as well as feral pigs, goats, dogs and axis deer.
The park acquired the 4,300 acres that make up the former Nuu Ranch in 2008. The draft report says this is among the island’s largest tracts of undeveloped land and is inhabited by endangered species.
Park spokeswoman Polly Angelakis said a boundary fence will start going up later this year.
Feral animals would be directed outside the fence as it’s constructed.
Animals inside the finished fence would be killed.
15 responses to “Park plans to remove feral plants, animals on former ranch”
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It would be interesting to know WHAT lobbying agency is behind this huge and costly venture is and what the taxpayers gain out of this in such a tight budget. And I would also like to know what contractors have been lined up to do this job. Very curious as I have seen too many shenanigans as of late in such places as the Department of Transportation.
Exactly. And I would like to know who the legislator is that lined up the universe to get all of the stars in formation in order to do this costly procedure. By the way, when we speak of native plants and animals, there really WAS no native plants and/or animals on these islands when they first came into being. ALL of the life on these island chain were brought in by waves and incoming animals such as the birds. All of this just to try and maintain an ecological balance to sustain plants and animals that were “native” to the islands seem very pointless. I am sure that the “green” people will have a day of pow-wow on this but the fact is, these islands were volcano erupting at one point and the plants and animals were from someplace else.
And who are we to say that the “non-native” animals are the invaders of the land when in fact all other species are?
Thanks to evolution, we have many plant and animal species that are so changed from whatever their ancestors were when they arrived, that they are found nowhere else in the world. They are now unique only to Hawai’i. To put them on the same level as feral pigs, goats, dogs and axis deer — or haole koa, panini and fountain grass — because they weren’t teleported to Hawai’i by aliens — is plumb lolo.
Federal monies. Haleakala is a federal park.
What’s a feral plant?
Must get rid of all pre-contact plants ands animals. Dumb! I suppose animals include pre-contact humans except those from Asia.
Yup, you could suppose something like that. But only if you’re someone who always tries to pull a personal affront out of every single story, no matter what the topic.
No, I don’t feel it is a personal affront. I just feel we go too far with campaign against nonnative plants and animals. Particularly with plants, people want various fruits and vegetables which aren’t native. I acknowledge I got carried away with the pre-contact humans reference but I couldn’t edit it out after I posted it.
Well, fair enough.
Many plants and animals are found no where else in the world other than Hawaii. Invasive species many times are pests that are accelerating the extinction of these unique plants and animals, once they’re gone, the next generation will have to look them up on the web to see one.
Soon to be million dollar homes up there in the future .
This is a national park and a major attraction for tourists. Tourists come to Hawaii to see Hawaiian things, including native plants.
Good.
what’s Bambi’s relatives doing there.