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Fact Sheet on Proposed Critical
Habitat for the Oahu Elepaio (PDF File190 kb)
Critical
Habitat Proposed for O‘ahu ‘Elepaio
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate
approximately 66,350 acres of critical habitat on the island
of O‘ahu for the endangered O‘ahu ‘elepaio, a forest bird once
considered the most common native land bird found on the island.
The five areas proposed for critical habitat are concentrated
in the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau Mountains.
"By
identifying the most important habitat for the O‘ahu ‘elepaio,
we hope to enhance the protections offered by the Endangered
Species Act and the odds that the species will recover to the
point that it will no longer be in danger of extinction,"
said Anne Badgley, regional director for the Service’s Pacific
region. These birds are considered the guardian spirit for Hawaiian
canoemakers, and it’s important their place in both the natural
and the cultural history of Hawai‘i be ensured."
Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are
essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered
species and that may require special management considerations.
These areas do not have to be occupied by the species at the
time of designation but must provide suitable habitat. A designation
does not set up a preserve or refuge, does not imply the land
will be fenced or become inaccessible, and only affects situations
where a federal action, federal funding, or a federal permit
is involved. It does not affect state, county, or private landowners
taking actions that do not involve federal actions, funding,
or permits.
Today, an estimated 1,982 O‘ahu ‘elepaio are known to exist
in scattered locations, with their current range less than 4
percent of their original range. A recovery plan that will identify
target population levels and distribution for the species in
order for the O‘ahu ‘elepaio to be removed from the endangered
species list is under development at this time.
The five critical habitat units proposed include almost all
of the area currently occupied by O‘ahu‘ elepaio, plus enough
unoccupied historical habitat to provide for a self-sustaining
population. The proposal resembles the species’ distribution
in 1975, when extensive surveys showed that ‘elepaio populations
were larger and less isolated. Based on the known size of territory
that each pair requires, the proposed critical
habitat would be sufficient to support an ‘elepaio population
of approximately 10,100 birds.
In adding currently unoccupied habitat, the Service selected
areas that provide the species’ preferred forest types, were
most recently occupied, and combine to form large blocks of
suitable habitat.
The critical habitat areas include 5,830 acres of federal lands
(currently managed by the U.S. Army,U.S. Navy, and Fish and
Wildlife Service); 25,095 acres of state-owned lands; 3,987
acres of land owned by
the City and County of Honolulu; and 31,441 privately owned
acres (including The Nature
Conservancy of Hawaii’s Honouliuli Preserve). The recently established
O‘ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge is included within the
Central Ko‘olau Mountains critical habitat unit.
The O‘ahu ‘elepaio
is a member of the monarch flycatcher family. Adults have a
dark brown crown and back, white underparts with light brown
streaks on the upper breast, and white wing bars, rump, and
tail-tips. Their long tail is often held up at an angle. ‘Elepaio
are insectivorous, territorial, nonmigratory, and often mate
for life.
As a result of a
lawsuit by the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, the U.S. District
Court for the District of Hawai‘i ordered the Fish and Wildlife
Service to publish a final critical habitat designation for
the O‘ahu ‘elepaio by October 31, 2001. This proposed rule is
the first step in meeting that obligation.
The proposed rule
designating critical habitat was published in the Federal Register
on June 6 for a 60-day public comment period. Copies of the
proposed rule are available through the Federal Register’s website
at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html, or by calling
the Fish and Wildlife Service at 808 541 3441. Written comments
may be submitted to the Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands
Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122, Box
50088, Honolulu, HI 96850; or by electronic mail to FW1PIE_OahuElep_crithab
@r1.fws.gov.
The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife,
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of
the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre
National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses more than
535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands,
and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices, and 78 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife
laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory
bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries,
conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and
helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It
also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting
equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
- FWS -
For more information
about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
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