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State and Private Landowners to Protect Habitat for  Three Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated approximately 11,640 acres as critical habitat for three endangered Hawaiian plants, the koʻokoʻolau, wahine noho kula, and uhiuhi. 

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Left to Right:  ko‘oko‘olau,  wahine noho kula, and uhiuhi. Photos by C. Harrington and J. Kwon / USFWS

This designation encompasses primarily state and federal lands – much of which has already been designated as critical habitat for other species. It will help protect Hawaiʻi’s dry forests, less than two percent of which remains, and on which these three endangered species, and many others, depend on for their survival.

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A graphic shows how dry forest habitat has been reduced over time. 

“The Service is committed to working with partners to recover koʻokoʻolau, wahine noho kula and uhiuhi, and the more than 400 threatened and endangered plants endemic to Hawaiʻi,” said Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office Field Supervisor Mary Abrams. “Including these three species, twenty-five percent of the endangered plants in the Hawaiian Islands are found in dry forest habitat.”

 This critical habitat designation follows extensive collaboration with local landowners, federal and state agencies, and private partners to develop comprehensive conservation strategies that protect federally listed and imperiled species for the continuing benefit of the American people. A number of landowners are working with the Service to support the recovery of the listed species on their lands.

“These types of agreements give landowners the flexibility to manage their private lands, while still providing for the recovery of endangered species,” said Abrams.

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Land owners work to help recover endangered species on the island of Hawai’i. Photo by USFWS

The landowners contributing to the recovery of these three endangered species include:

Kamehameha Schools
Waikoloa Village Association
Palamanui Global Holdings, LLC
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
Kaloko Entities
Lanihau Properties, LLC
County of Hawaiʻi
Hawaiʻi Housing and Finance Development Corporation
Forest City Hawaiʻi Kona, LLC
Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust

“The recovery of threatened and endangered species depends on strong partnerships. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners and landowners to address threats to these and other imperiled species throughout Hawaiʻi,” said Abrams. “It’s our goal to continue to find collaborative solutions to conservation and recovery, while supporting local communities.”

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Critical habitat identifies the specific areas of habitat within the geographic range of a listed species that are essential for its long-term survival. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or allow government or public access to private lands. It does require federal agencies that undertake or permit activities that may affect critical habitat to consult with the Service to ensure those actions do not negatively impact important characteristics of these areas.

The final rule for the critical habitat designation has been published in the Federal Register.  

The final designation can be viewed at www.fws.gov/pacificislands.

 For more information on endangered species conservation, please visit:  http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacific, or connect with us through any of these social media channels at www.facebook.com/USFWSPacific, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/,  www.tumblr.com/blog/usfwspacific or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.

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