Gov. issues executive order to restore burned Kaua‘i forests

HONOLULU — In the aftermath of the 2012 forest fires on Kaua‘i, planning is in the works to reforest the locations.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie issued an executive order Friday allowing the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to proceed with emergency actions in response to the Kaua‘i fires of summer 2012.

The three fires were the largest and most significant wildfires on Kaua‘i island since the 1960s.

“Having this emergency proclamation in place will empower DLNR to act swiftly to purchase materials and implement the necessary actions to prevent further serious environmental damage,” Abercrombie said.

He said the order will also aid in the conversion of a forest dominated by non-native species to a greater abundance of native forest and understory species for improved watershed health.

Between May to August 2012, approximately 3,000 acres burned in west Kaua‘i, including 1,012 forest acres burned in the Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve, Pu‘u Ka Pele Forest Reserve and Kuia Natural Area Reserve.

Because local wildlife and native ecosystems were either damaged or put at risk by the fires, immediate action is needed to stabilize and quickly revegetate mountainous areas in an effort to minimize long-term ecological impacts to the forests and marine ecosystems from heavy rains, which often carry downed woody debris into runoff.

The emergency proclamation’s objectives are to:

• Remove dead standing trees along roads that are a threat to access and public safety;

• Establish ground cover to stabilize soils that are exposed and prone to erosion;

• Implement measures to prevent flooding, landslides and sedimentation on coral reefs;

• Offset invasive plant colonization with native plant establishment in open burned areas;

• Re-establish access to important hiking and hunting areas;

• Restore hydrological and groundwater functions provided by upland forested watersheds; and

• Enhance native species habitat through reforestation efforts.

“We are confident these timely actions will help reduce imminent hazards to public safety and natural resources. We are working to ensure that the best local and regional knowledge is utilized in short- and long-term mitigation efforts,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson.  

Since August, DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife has already taken critical steps to reduce harmful environmental conditions and ensure public safety.

These actions include continued closure of sections of two forest reserves for public safety, until further notice; hazard tree removal from forest reserve roads by a team of statewide foresters; surveying and mapping all of the burned areas; acquiring plenty of grass seeds to be used in a large scale soil stabilization effort; and ongoing consultation with local and regional experts to develop a short- and long-term forest restoration management plan.

Kaua‘i forest and grassland fires of summer 2012

Last summer, Kaua‘i County and state firefighters collaborated in battling three fires that burned a combined 3,000 acres and cost $840,000 in DLNR firefighting costs:

• May 28 to June 5, 2012 — Miloli‘i forest fire burned approximately 247 acres in the Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve, Puuka Pele Forest Reserve and Kuia Natural Area Reserve. DLNR’s firefighting costs were $247,000.

• June 28 to July 3, 2012 — Hikimoe forest fire burned 765 acres in Puuka Pele Forest.

The May-June and June-July fires together impacted five different watersheds: Hikimoe, Ha‘ele‘ele, Makaha, Miloli‘i and Kaulaula.

Up to 85 county and state firefighters collaborated in controlling the fire. DLNR’s firefighting costs were $375,000.

• Aug. 16 to 22, 2012 — Fires at Poki‘i, Paua and Waiaka Ridges burned another 2,000 acres of grasslands.  

DLNR’s firefighting costs were $218,000.

The governor’s emergency proclamation can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/KauaiForestProc online.