Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, March 30, 2023

CRITICAL HABITAT WOULD BE THE NEW DESIGNATION FOR 122,277 acres of federal, state and private lands on Hawai'i Island, under a U.S. Fish & Wildlife proposal. The designation aims to protect 11 native plants and one insect. All are endangered species found only on this island. Another two, the lolu palm and 'opae pond shrimp were considered but there was concern that designating their habitats would incentivize overharvesting and damage the chances for survival.
    Comments will be received through May 30, 11:59 p.m. eastern time. See the proposed rule in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/29/2023-04088/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-designation-of-critical-habitat-for-12-species-and-not.
    Fish & Wildlife Service will hold one virtual public informational meeting and public hearing on Thursday, April 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time. To register for the virtual public scoping meeting, visit the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office website: Critical Habitat for Hawaiʻi Island Species.

       The 12 species with proposed critical habitat protection across the island are:
    Vetericaris chaceorum (ʻopāe), the small shrimp found in inland anchialine pools of mixed salinity formed by coastal lava flows or limestone exposures.
    Drosophila digressa (Hawaiʻi picture-wing fly), historically been found in five locations on the island in elevations from 2,000 to 4,500 feet in mesic forest and wet forest habitats.
  Phyllostegia floribunda (no common name), a perennial shrub found in mesic forest and wet forest ecosystems along the eastern side of the island.
    Pittosporum hawaiiense (hōʻawa, hāʻawa), a small tree found in mesic and wet ecosystems on the island.
    Schiedea diffusa ssp. macraei (no common name) is a perennial climbing herb found in the wet forest ecosystem of the Kohala Mountains and the windward slopes of Mauna Loa.
    Schiedea hawaiiensis (māʻoliʻoli) is a perennial herb, and at the time of listing, occurs only at a single site in dry forest habitat between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea mountains.
    Bidens hillebrandiana ssp. hillebrandiana (koʻokoʻolau) is a short-lived perennial herb that occurs in coastal and dry cliff ecosystems on rocky substrate near the shoreline. It is found on the windward eastern coast of Kohala near the northern tip of the island.
    Cyanea marksii (hāhā) is a short-lived perennial, shrub or palm-like tree and is found on the west side of the island in the district of South Kona.
    Cyanea tritomantha (‘akū) is a palm-like shrub distributed across the windward slopes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kīlauea, and the Kohala Mountains.
    Cyrtandrananawaleensis (ha‘iwale) is a shrub or small tree found in wet forest ecosystems in the Puna district.
    Cyrtandra wagneri (ha‘iwale, kanawao ke‘oke‘o) is a shrub or small tree found in wet forest ecosystems along the northeast side of the island.
    Melicope remyi (no common name) is a long-lived perennial shrub found on the windward slopes of the Kohala Mountains and Mauna Kea.
    Stenogyne cranwelliae (no common name) is a vine found in the Kohala Mountains in wet forest habitat.
    According to U.S. Forest Service, "Critical habitat is a tool that supports the continued conservation of imperiled species by guiding cooperation within the federal government. Identifying critical habitat also informs landowners and the public which specific areas are important to a species’ conservation and recovery. The Service can also make the determination to not designate critical habitat when a designation would likely increase the threat of collection, vandalism, or incidental habitat degradation by curiosity seekers.
    The announcement of the proposed critical habitat areas on Hawai'i Island "comes as the ESA turns 50 years old and is the most significant piece of endangered species legislation and is considered one of the world’s most important conservation laws. When Congress passed the ESA in 1973, it recognized that our rich natural heritage is of “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value to our Nation and its people.” Currently, the ESA protects 1,662 U.S. species and 638 foreign species. With ongoing threats such as habitat loss and new threats like climate change , a commitment to species conservation and the ESA continues to be vital. In every state across the country, there is staff working to conserve endangered species and the habitat they depend on," says the Fish & Wildlife statement.