[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52008-52011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21326]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-R-2011-N093; 1265-0000-10137-S3]
Ke[amacr]lia Pond National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Kakahai'a
NWR, Maui County, HI; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our draft comprehensive conservation plans and
environmental assessments (Draft CCPs/EAs) for the Ke[amacr]lia Pond
and Kakahai'a National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges), for public review
and comment. The Draft CCPs/EAs describe our proposals for managing the
Refuges for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by September 19, 2011. We will also announce opportunities for public
input in local news media throughout the CCP process.
ADDRESSES: Additional information about the Refuges is available on our
Web sites http://www.fws.gov/kealiapond/and http://www.fws.gov/kakahaia/. You may submit comments or request CD-ROM copies of the
Draft CCPs/EAs by any of the following methods. A limited number of
printed copies of the Draft CCPs/EAs are also available.
E-mail: FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov. Include ``Ke[amacr]lia Pond/
Kakahai'a NWRs'' in the subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Glynnis Nakai, Project Leader, (808) 875-2945.
U.S. Mail: Glynnis Nakai, Project Leader, Maui National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, P.O. Box 1042, K[imacr]hei, Hawai'i 96753.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glynnis Nakai, Project Leader, (808)
875-1582 (phone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for the Refuges. We
started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (74 FR
53755; October 20, 2009).
The Ke[amacr]lia Pond and Kakahai'a Refuges are part of the Maui
National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge is located
along the southern shore of the island of Maui. It was established in
1992 for the purpose of providing habitat for endangered Hawaiian
waterbirds, specifically, the endangered Hawaiian stilt (ae'o), and
endangered Hawaiian coot ('alae ke'oke'o). Ke[amacr]lia Pond is one of
the largest natural wetlands remaining in the Hawaiian Islands. The
704-acre Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge is administered under a perpetual
conservation easement provided by Alexander and Baldwin, Inc. The
Refuge encompasses open water, fresh to brackish water marsh, mudflat,
grassland, upland shrub, and coastal beach strand habitats.
[[Page 52009]]
The Refuge also contains one of the largest concentrations of wetland
birds in Hawai'i, and is an important breeding, feeding, and resting
area for the ae'o and 'alae ke'oke'o. In addition, Ke[amacr]lia Pond
Refuge provides a strategic landfall for migratory birds coming from
Alaska, Siberia, and Asia, including Northern pintail (koloa
m[amacr]pu), Northern shoveler (koloa moh[amacr]), lesser scaup,
Pacific golden-plover (k[omacr]lea), and ruddy turnstone (`akekeke). A
total of 110 bird species have been documented on Ke[amacr]lia Pond
Refuge. A majority of the Refuge is closed to general public access;
however, trails, overlooks, and educational programs provide the public
with opportunities to view some of Hawai'i's endangered and migratory
wildlife.
The Kakahai'a Refuge is located on the southeastern coast of the
island of Moloka'i. It was established to protect and provide habitat
for endangered species. Habitats found on this Refuge include open
water, freshwater marsh, mudflat, grassland, and shrubland. An inland
Hawaiian fishpond is also located on the Refuge. Some of the more
common migrants are koloa m[amacr]pu and k[omacr]lea. Kakahai'a Refuge
is closed to the general public; however, volunteers occasionally
conduct wetland education programs.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to
develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose for
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for
achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of
fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our
policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on
conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities that are compatible with a
refuge's purposes, including opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and
interpretation. We will review and update the CCP at least every 15
years in accordance with the Refuge Administration Act.
Public Outreach and CCP Issues
We started the public scoping phase of the CCP planning process in
2009 by publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register (74
FR 53755; October 20, 2009), announcing our intention to complete a
CCP/EA for the Ke[amacr]lia Pond and Kakahai'a Refuges, and requesting
public comments. Concurrently, we released Planning Update 1, to
provide information to the public and various stakeholders regarding
our planning process, the Refuges' purposes, and our preliminary
issues, goals, and objectives. We also invited the public to two open
house meetings and requested public comments in the NOI and Planning
Update 1. In November 2009, we held two public open house meetings in
K[imacr]hei and Kaunakakai, HI.
In Planning Update 2, released in February 2010, we summarized the
comments we received, listed the preliminary management issues we used
to draft alternatives, and presented our refined goals and objectives.
In March 2011, we released Planning Update 3. We described our
preliminary alternatives and identified our preferred alternatives in
the update, and requested comments. We identified the following key
issues during our planning and public involvement process, and
addressed them in the Draft CCPs/EAs.
Reduce threats to native habitats, endangered species,
migratory birds, and other native wildlife at Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge,
from invasive California bulrush and pickleweed plants; and nonnative
rats, Indian mongooses, and cats. Identify more efficient techniques to
control the most aggressive invasive species.
Reduce midge swarms, wind-blown dust, and foul-smelling
tilapia die-offs that originate on Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge, and
encroach on neighboring property.
Expand opportunities for wildlife-dependent public uses on
Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge, and manage public uses to prevent wildlife
and habitat disturbances.
Develop restoration plans and step-down habitat management
plans, and identify alternative water sources for endangered waterbird
habitat on both Refuges.
Increase funding for and maintenance of equipment and
facilities that are exposed to and degraded by the Refuges' coastal
marine environmental conditions.
Increase law enforcement to protect both Refuges'
resources.
Conduct baseline surveys of invertebrates and their
associated vegetation, to facilitate adaptive management at both
Refuges.
Increase staff presence on the Kakahai'a Refuge, to
improve habitat management, volunteer efforts, and visitor services.
Draft CCP Alternatives We Are Considering
During the public scoping process with which we started work on
these Draft CCPs/EAs, we, other governmental partners, and the public
raised several issues. To address these issues we developed and
evaluated three alternatives for managing each Refuge. In each Draft
CCP/EA, we present our evaluation of the environmental effects of each
alternative, and identify Alternative C as our preferred alternative.
Alternative C was selected in both documents, because it best achieves
the Refuges' purposes, visions, and goals; contributes to the National
Wildlife Refuge System mission; addresses issues and relevant mandates;
and is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife
management. Summaries of our alternatives follow.
Ke[amacr]lia Pond Refuge Draft CCP/EA Alternatives
Alternative A: No Change
Under Alternative A, we would continue current management.
Management of threatened and endangered species would focus on
waterbird protection and successful nesting, in support of Hawaiian
Waterbird Recovery Plan implementation. Public use programs would
remain virtually unchanged. We would rely on natural, annual flooding,
to manage habitat, and supplemental flooding, to provide habitat for
waterbirds. The open-water, 200-acre Ke[amacr]lia Pond is subject to
the natural hydrological cycle, represented by high water in winter,
receding water April to September, and complete drying October to
November. The seasonal mudflats at M[amacr]'alaea would not be actively
managed.
The Refuge's proposed Molokini Islet Unit (a proposed overlay
refuge) would continue to be managed as a seabird colony. We would
visit the unit one or two times per year, to monitor the seabird
population, and continue a collaborative, long-term bird-banding
project with the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources
(HDLNR).
There are three nuisance issues at Ke[amacr]lia Pond that impact
downwind neighbors, they include: Nonnative insects (midges), dust, and
fish die-off odor. In extended high-water years, an invasive midge
species reproduces multiple times, and the resulting swarms encroach on
adjacent property. The Refuge would continue to control midges by
treating the main pond with
[[Page 52010]]
an insect growth inhibitor during peak abundance.
An overabundance of tilapia, a nonnative fish, occurs during
extended flood conditions in the main pond. When the water recedes, the
tilapia die-off emanates a foul odor, and the decaying fish must be
raked out of the mud to remove the biomass. The Refuge would continue
to trap and remove tilapia from the pond under Alternative A.
When water in the main pond recedes due to evaporation, trade winds
disperse dust from the pond to the south-southeast side of the Refuge,
and onto neighboring properties. Under Alternative A, we would continue
to control windblown sediment by pumping and sheetflowing water into
the main pond, targeting the pond's upper north edge.
Alternative B: Restoration Focus
Under Alternative B, we would identify and implement more efficient
techniques for controlling the most aggressive invasive species,
prepare a restoration plan and step-down habitat management plan with
an inventory and monitoring protocol, and identify alternative water
sources for endangered waterbirds. Developing a water source for
M[amacr]'alaea Flats would be a priority, enabling managing water
levels for foraging, resting, and breeding ae'o, and providing enhanced
wildlife viewing opportunities from the Ke[amacr]lia Coastal Boardwalk.
We would conduct additional studies to evaluate the impacts visitors
have on endangered waterbirds. Monitoring on the proposed Molokini
Islet Unit would increase to two or three visits per year, for
monitoring breeding and banding chicks. Methods to control nuisances
(midges, dust, and tilapia) would be similar to Alternative A, until
the Refuge is able to manipulate water levels in the open-water pond.
Alternative C: Wetland Capacity Focus (Preferred Alternative)
Under Alternative C, we would increase our ability to control water
in the main pond and adjacent vegetated mudflats, remove the most
aggressive invasive plants, and control pickleweed on the flats. Refuge
enhancements would include constructing a water control structure,
developing new wells to deliver water to target areas, and recontouring
the topography, to maintain water on the flats. Increasing our
capability to dewater and flood the main pond, would enhance our midge
and tilapia control efforts.
Public uses would be similar to Alternatives A and B; however, new
vegetated barriers and/or blinds would be provided for better wildlife
viewing opportunities. Additional visitor services staff would recruit
and train volunteers to assist with Refuge programs, and increase
environmental educational opportunities.
Monitoring on the proposed Molokini Islet Unit would include three
to six visits annually, during seabird nesting season (March to
November). Very little information is known about 'ou (Bulwer's
petrels) nesting on Molokini Islet; therefore, we would begin a
monitoring program to determine the population's parameters. In
addition, we would initiate a native plant restoration plan,
particularly for 'ihi (Portulaca molokiniensis), a Federal and State
species of concern. Volunteers would assist with propagating plants in
the Refuge's greenhouse, and outplanting would be conducted by Federal
and State biologists under a cooperative agreement with HDLNR.
Kakahai'a Refuge Draft CCP/EA Alternatives
Alternative A: Continue Current Management (No Change)
Under Alternative A, no changes in current management would occur.
Wetland management would continue to be limited, due to staff and
funding limitations. An overgrowth of pest plants, including trees and
shrubs on levees, would continue to hinder efforts to manage the
habitat on a small scale. Sedimentation would continue to degrade
wetland habitat, resulting in even fewer waterbirds using the habitat;
therefore we would not restart predator control activities. Management
at Kakahai'a Refuge would be limited to treating pest plant species
along the fence line with herbicide, maintaining access to gages and
piezometers, monitoring water levels, and replacing the perimeter
fence, as funding permits. The Refuge would remain closed to visitors.
Alternative B: Restoration and Biodiversity Focus
Under Alternative B, we would restore 10.5 acres of wetland habitat
at Kakahai'a Refuge. We would create a water source for 5.5 acres of
the Refuge's New Pond, by constructing a well, installing a water pump
and distribution line, and repairing the electric panel. This
alternative would create foraging and resting habitat for ae'o and
'alae ke'oke'o, and potential nesting habitat for ae'o. Removing 5
acres of invasive vegetation would recreate open water habitat in Old
Pond. If feasible, the Old Pond's topography would be recontoured in
areas where California bulrush has been removed, to create foraging and
nesting habitat for 'alae ke'oke'o. Water level management in both
ponds would also enhance invertebrate abundance. We would resume
waterbird monitoring and predator control. The perimeter fence would be
repaired or replaced to minimize the occurrence of invasive mammals
such as axis deer, pigs, and dogs.
Under Alternative B, we would compile available data on the ecology
of the wetlands, and evaluate wetland geomorphology and hydrology, to
restore wetland habitat for the ae'o and 'alae ke'oke'o. The Refuge
would remain closed to the public, except for issuing Special Use
Permits for environmental education and interpretation activities. We
would develop an earthen platform outside the fence along the entrance
road to the Refuge, for wildlife viewing opportunities. Refuge staff
visits would coincide with volunteer work group activities.
Alternative C: Wetland Capacity Focus (Preferred Alternative)
Under Alternative C, we would restore the 15-acre Old Pond, and 5.5
acres of the New Pond. Old Pond restoration activities would include
removing California bulrush and other aggressive nonnative species,
dredging accumulated sediment, recontouring the pond's bathymetry,
removing and reconfiguring radial levees, reconstructing perimeter
levees, replacing the water control structure, and replacing the pump
between the two ponds. Restoring Old Pond would provide open water and
emergent habitat for breeding, foraging, and nesting 'alae ke'oke'o.
Natural groundwater springs would also supply water to Old Pond, which
would reduce the need for supplemental water. A well, pump, water
distribution line, and water control outlet would be constructed for
New Pond, and levees would be rebuilt, which would enable us to flood
and dewater the ponds to provide semi-permanent and seasonal habitat
for ae'o, 'alae ke'oke'o, and migratory waterbirds. All monitoring
activities would resume as part of the wetland restoration. A predator-
proof fence would be installed, to protect wetland habitat and species.
We would work with the Hawai'i Department of Transportation, to
modify the culvert passing under Kamehameha V Highway, to allow water
from the upper watershed and periodic dewatering of the wetlands to
flow to the ocean naturally, without blockage from sand.
[[Page 52011]]
Maintaining the wetlands at Kakahai'a Refuge would require regular
onsite Refuge staff presence. The opportunities for visitors to engage
in compatible wildlife-dependent recreation would expand, depending on
staffing. At a minimum, a kiosk would be constructed on an earthen
mound along the Refuge entrance road. Volunteer groups would assist
Refuge staff with restoration and maintenance activities.
Public Availability of Documents
We encourage you to stay involved in the CCP planning process by
reviewing and commenting on the proposals we have developed in the
Draft CCPs/EAs. Copies of the documents are available by request from
the Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Milepost 6, Mokulele
Highway, K[imacr]hei, HI. The Draft CCPs/EAs are also available for
downloading on our Web site http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning.
Public Meetings
We will hold the following public meetings. In Moloka'i, the
meeting is September 7, 2011, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole
Center, 90 Ainoa Street, Kaunakakai, Hawai'i. In Maui, the meeting is
September 8, 2011, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the K[imacr]hei Community
Center, 303 E. Lipoa Street, K[imacr]hei, Hawai'i. For more information
on the meetings, contact the person under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Next Steps
After the comment period ends, we will analyze the comments we
receive and address them in the Final CCPs and decision documents.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: June 21, 2011.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 2011-21326 Filed 8-18-11; 8:45 am]
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