LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i and the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust are working to-gether to apply for federal funds to expand the Kilauea Point Na-tional Wildlife Refuge. Their goal is to strengthen the protection of endangered birds and plant
LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i and the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust are working to-gether to apply for federal funds to expand the Kilauea Point Na-tional Wildlife Refuge.
Their goal is to strengthen the protection of endangered birds and plant species at the North Shore refuge.
During a meeting at the his-toric County Building yesterday, council members granted a request from Dr. Gary Blaich, president of the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust, to have leaders in the county Planning Department apply for a federal grant of up to $2 million to carry out that goal.
The funds are being offered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, to sup-port the acquisition of 23 acres by Rock Quarry Beach.
The two properties are owned by the Zweben Family, and are located next to 5.4 acres the family donated to the KPLT in December 2003.
Ultimately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would manage both the 5.4 acres and the ad-ditional 23 acres should county leaders pursue efforts to acquire the land.
The additional land would en-able federal officials to enhance their efforts to protect endan-gered birds and plant species lo-cated at the Kilauea refuge and in surrounding areas.
Blaich said it was imperative county leaders apply for and receive the grant funds, as they would help leverage and gener-ate additional funds from other government sources and private foundations to buy the 23 acres.
The price tag would run into several millions of dollars.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Neigh-bor Islands-rural O‘ahu, led an effort to push a bill through Congress authorizing the land acquisition to expand the 203-acre Kilauea wildlife refuge, and President Bush has signed the measure into law, Blaich said.
KPLT leaders welcome the support, but are concerned that congressionally appropriated funds may be too late in coming, Blaich said.
By the time these funds can be used for the expansion project, “the properties may be lost.
The Zwebens may sell them,” Blaich said after the council meeting.
The county’s request for the NOAA grant and the receipt of the funds provide the quickest way to preserve the purchase of the land, Blaich said.
If county leaders don’t buy the 23 acres, they could be sold to the highest bidder, and two homes could be built on the two lots, Blaich said.
Councilman Mel Rapozo indi-cated the sale of the lots for that purpose would blunt efforts to protect special bird and plant species and their habitats.
If county leaders cannot se-cure the NOAA grants, the fed-eral grant funds would not lapse and could be used for other proj-ects, Blaich told councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, who inquired about the grants.
Lester Chang, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.
