Protecting Wainiha Valley

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. and The Nature Conservancy announced Tuesday they will partner to create Hawai‘i’s third largest nature preserve at Wainiha Valley on Kaua‘i.

The Wainiha Valley, located above Ha‘ena, includes one of Kaua‘i’s largest river systems, mountain cliffs, portions of the Alaka‘i plateau and Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale.

“Wainiha is a place of incredible natural beauty and a treasure chest of Hawai‘i’s native plants and animals,” Suzanne Case, the Conservancy’s Hawai‘i executive director, said in a statement. “It’s been our highest priority for conservation for many years. Now, thanks to Alexander & Baldwin, we will be able to protect it. We are deeply grateful.”

The partnership between A&B and The Nature Conservancy will last for 10 years. A&B has also given a $100,000 grant to the Conservancy for conservation and outreach programs.

“A&B has been a dedicated steward of these Kaua‘i lands for well over a century, and over time, our awareness has sharpened about the tremendous biological importance of this Valley, and the imminent threats to the habitat,” Allen Doane, Alexander & Baldwin chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Our company has confidence in The Nature Conservancy’s capabilities and we are pleased to partner with them to pursue out common goal of ensuring the protection of this valuable natural resource for generations to come. We entrust our lands to their expert care.”

The Wainiha parcel A&B holds totals 10,000 acres. The Conservancy parcel covers the upper 7,050 acres, including 5,750 acres of the Valley and 1,300 acres of the Alaka‘i plateau and the Wai‘ale‘ale summit region.

“Wainiha is one of the largest valleys on Kaua‘i, extending far into the island’s undeveloped heart, the Alaka‘i plateau,” Sam Gon, senior scientist and cultural advisor for The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, said in a statement. “Because of its remoteness from human development, the upper region of Wainiha is as close to pristine as any valley system can get in the Hawaiian islands.”

Gon says examples of healthy native lowland forest can be found in the twin valleys of Wainiha. Also present are rare Hawaiian freshwater stream communities. The Wainiha Valley is home to 127 species of flowering plants endemic to Hawai‘i, with 41 of those species only found on Kaua‘i.

Various species of native forest birds include the ‘elepaio, ‘apapane, ‘amakihi and the scarce ‘akikiki and akeke‘e. The endangered ‘ua‘a (Hawaiian petrel) uses nesting sites on the wet cliffs that separate the Wainiha Valley from the Alaka‘i plateau.

The mile-high, 12,000-acre Alaka‘i plateau sits at the head of Kaua‘i’s five largest aquifers. The ecosystems of the Alaka‘i include a high-elevation rain forest. There are 131 plant species found only in Hawai‘i within A&B’s 1,300-acre portion of the Alaka‘i. Forty-six are endemic to Kaua‘i.

Although the ecosystems of the Wainiha Valley are in good to very good condition, there are threats, according to Trae Menard, the Conservancy’s Kaua‘i program director.

“Invasive weeds such as Australian tree fern and clidemia are already moving up the valley, as are the introduced wild pigs,” Menard said in a statement. “Australian tree fern is the biggest threat. And it’s urgent, because right now we have a narrow window of opportunity to try to get in there and control it.”

The $100,000 grant from the A&B Foundation to the Conservancy will be used towards the management and support of their habitat protection goals. These goals include reducing alien species such as weeds, insects and diseases and offering community education and outreach.

“In recognition of our long association with the Conservancy, we are pleased to provide these funds to help support their important conservation activities,” Doane said.

Hawai‘i’s two largest private preserves are Maui Land & Pine’s 9,881-acre Pu‘u Kukui Preserve and the Conservancy’s 8,061-acre Kona Hema Preserve on the Big Island.

• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.