Features
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Wisdom has done it again!
At 67, Wisdom, the world’s oldest known breeding bird in the wild, is a mother once more! On February 6th, approximately two months after Wisdom began incubating her egg, Wisdom and her mate Akeakamai welcomed their newest chick to Midway Atoll. Read her story.
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Millerbird turns the tables on biologists.
On a recent trip to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a USFWS biologists got a rare visit from an endangered Nihoa Millerbird.
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Captive Breeding Native Forest Birds: Akikiki and Akekee
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project, Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and San Diego Zoo Global bring two species of endemic Kauai honeycreeper into captivity to prevent them from extinction. See the project in action.
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Mysterious Disease Threatens Critical Hawaiian Forests
Rapid Ohia Death, has been detected on Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawai‘i Island. ROD is a newly identified, rapidly-spreading fungal disease that kills native Ohia trees. Learn more about Rapid Ohia Death at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
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Ohia lehua: the Foundation of Hawaii's Forest Ecosystem
When you travel through the barren lava fields of the big island of Hawaii, you will see single trees breaking up through the bleak expanse of jagged black basalt. The outreaching limbs contain foliage that dots the landscape in green and yellow and red. These hardy trees are the cornerstone of Hawaiian forests, and they are under attack. Learn more about Ohia lehua.
News Room
Midway Seabird Protection Project Draft Environmental Assessment
Mice are attacking nesting albatross on Midway Atoll – resulting in injury, nest abandonment and death. In order to protect the seabirds from the invasive predator, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the house mouse from Midway Atoll. A draft environmental assessment for the project is available for public comment from March 21 – April 20.
Review the draft environment assessment and learn how to provide your comments at: https://goo.gl/SYrAeo.
Accessible PDF of Storymap Content
Newsroom
Service Seeks Public Comment for KIUC Permit Renewal
The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) has submitted an application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for renewal of their incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act. The permit renewal is associated with KIUC’s Short-Term Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) which addresses the potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects caused by the applicant’s operation and maintenance of existing and anticipated electrical utility facilities on three threatened and endangered species on Kauai. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public review and comment on the application for the Short-Term HCP permit renewal from June 15 – July 15.
Federal Register Notice
News Release
Permit Renewal Application (PDF .56 MB)
Permit Renewal Application: Short Term Habitat Conservation Plan (PDF .63MB)
News Room
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Proposed for Wind Energy Projects
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a Notice of Intent to prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to address the potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects of operations and maintenance activities at four similar wind energy projects on the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat, Hawaiian goose and Hawaiian petrel. The Service is initiating a 30 day public scoping period to request information and recommendations on the scope of the issues to be included in the draft PEIS. The scoping period will take place from June 1 – July 2 and include three public meetings, one each on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui and O‘ahu.
For more information on the announcement and the public meetings see the official Notice of Intent.
Documents Available
Kamehameha Schools Safe Harbor Agreement
The Service has received an application from Kamehameha Schools, a private charitable education trust, for an enhancement of survival permit. The application includes a draft Safe Harbor Agreement between Kamehameha Schools, the Service, and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The proposal is to conduct proactive conservation activities to promote the survival and recovery of 32 federally endangered species and one species currently proposed for listing.
Federal Register Notice
Safe Harbor Appendix
Draft Environmental Action Statement
Draft Safe Harbor Agreement
Join Us!
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Celebrating 100 years of Migratory Bird Conservation
2016 marks the centennial of the Convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds, signed on Aug. 16, 1916. This Migratory Bird Treaty, and three others that followed with Japan, Russia, and Mexico, form the cornerstones of our efforts to conserve birds that migrate across international borders. Here in Hawai‘i, many of our native birds are protected under these treaties and we are joining the celebration island style!
