Kaʻū News Briefs March 12, 2024

    In addition to being the coastal conservation leader in all of Hawai'i, Kaʻū is the forest conservation leader in the Hawaiian Islands. The state's Kaʻū Forest Reserve is 61,000 acres. Its Kapāpala Forest Reserve is 37,276 acres. The Nature Conservancy Kaʻū Preserve consists of four separate areas totaling 3,548 acres that enable management access to state forest reserve lands. Kamehameha Schools holds about 67,357 acres in Kaʻū, planted acres of koa trees above Pāhala and hosts a captive breeding facility for the endangered Hawaiian crow on its property at Volcano.

    Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park acquired 116,00 acres stretching from Kahuku above South Point through lands above Nā'ālehu, Pāhala and the state forest Forest Reserves to Volcano. Most of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is in Kaʻū, all the way to Halema'uma'u Crater. Residents in Volcano have protected the trees on their lands to provide a flyway for birds.

   Hawaiian Homelands in Kaʻū totals 11,312 acres, including native dry and wetland forest. The county, nonprofits and private owners have preserved forest land for conservation. Resource managers from government and nonprofits, as well as private landowners help protect the native birds. Among the rarest are ‘Akiapōlā‘au (Hemignathus munroi), Hawai‘i Creeper (Oreomystis mana) and Hawai‘i ‘Akepa (Loxops coccineus).

A portion of the native forests and habitats of Hawaiian native birds in Kaʻū.  Map from DLNR

    The state and some other entities allow hunting, hiking, gathering and, along with other cultural practices in the forest. 
     A statement from the Mayor's office says:
    "For millions of years prior to human contact, Hawaiʻi’s forests were the dominion of our native nā manu nahele (forest birds), comprising at least 84 species including honeycreepers, honeyeaters, flycatchers, thrushes, warblers, hawks, owls, and crows. Nā manu nahele have critical ecological roles in Hawaiʻi as pollinators, seed dispersers, and insect managers in our Hawaiian forests, sometimes so closely co-evolved with plant species that native plants cannot reproduce without them.
    "The threats to the remaining manu species, particularly honeycreepers, include habitat loss; habitat degradation by invasive plants, insects, and diseases; predation by invasive rats, cats, and mongoose; and deadly diseases spread by mosquitoes, particularly avian malaria.
    "Nā manu nahele are an inextricable part of Native Hawaiian culture in their roles as ʻaumakua (family deities) and messengers between akua (gods) and kānaka (people). Nā manu nahele are celebrated in mele (songs) moʻolelo (stories), ʻōlelo noʻeau (proverbs), kaʻao (legends), and in the creation of feather adornments.
    'Hawai‘i is experiencing a bird extinction crisis, with roughly two-thirds of its known native manu nahele species having become extinct. Nearly all of the remaining 26 species are facing critical threats.
    “'Protecting our natural and cultural resources is at the core of our vision for a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations to come,' said Mayor Mitch Roth. 'We are proud to declare this year the year of the forest birds, honoring all those who dedicate their careers to the restoration and conservation of our native forests so that the many creatures, including our endemic birds, can thrive and continue calling Hawaiʻi Island home.'
    "Continued community awareness and active support for native forest stewardship are essential to mālama native nā manu nahele as part of the Hawaiʻi ʻohana," concluded the statement from the Mayor's office.