A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to establish critical habitats for 76 threatened and endangered plants on Kaua’i and Ni’ihau would have “little or no economic” impact on uses by the public, military and government in the safety zones
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to establish critical habitats for 76 threatened and endangered plants on Kaua’i and Ni’ihau would have “little or no economic” impact on uses by the public, military and government in the safety zones and around them, the agency says.
Hunters have opposed the proposal, voicing fears the agency might set up overly restrictive controls in the proposed zones, severely limiting access to hunting areas. But a Fish and Wildlife Services report said the zones would have minimal impact on hunting activities.
The finding was part of a draft report done by Decision Analysis Hawai’i, an economic consulting firm, under contract with Industrial Economics Inc. The report analyzed potential impacts of the safety zones.
Fish and Wildlife is proposing special protection for plants within 60,000 acres of state and private lands on Kaua’i and Ni’ihau. The proposed zones are primarily located on the north side of Kaua’i. They include the Alakai Wilderness Preserve, parts of Koke’e State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park, several state-owned natural areas and forest reserves, and land owned or leased by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Another two zones are planned for the northwestern corner of Ni’ihau
Through the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service wants to protect 255 threatened or endangered species statewide. The federal agency is proposing the zones to restore healthy populations of plans so that they can be removed from the list of threatened or endangered species.
The consultant’s report indicated 23 critical habitat designations on Kaua’i and Ni’ihau would have little impact on game hunting, state parks, botanical gardens, farming, communication, tracking and observatory facilities, power lines, military exercises, hurricane recovery efforts, resident use of urban lots and ecotourism.
The agency will accept public comment on the economic analysis through April 6.
Almost all the lands proposed for protection are owned by the state or private entities. Most of the land is unsuitable for development or other activities due to their remoteness, lack of access and rugged terrain, the federal agency said.
Agency officials said the designation does not set up a preserve or refuge and only applies to situations where federal funding or a federal permit is involved.
The safety zones would not have any impact on private landowners making improvements on their lands that do not involve federal funding or permits, officials said.
Barbara Maxfield, a Fish and Wildlife representative on O’ahu, said it would not cost any federal funds to create the zones. The zones “are on paper only,” she said.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
