The plan defines conservation activities for the next 15 years
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today announced the availability of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) that will guide management of James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for the next 15 years.
“The CCP outlines refuge goals and strategies, staffing and funding needs, and management and research priorities,” said David Ellis, Project Leader of the O‘ahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes James Campbell NWR, Pearl Harbor NWR, and O‘ahu Forest NWR.
The CCP was developed to provide scientifically grounded guidance for improving and managing the Refuge's habitats for the long-term conservation of Hawai‘i’s endangered waterbirds, native plants, and migratory birds. The planning team modified the plan and the preferred alternative to reflect the many comments received during the public comment phase of the draft CCP. Implementation of the long-term management actions and projects depends on the availability of funding over the next 15 years.
The plan identifies actions necessary for enhancing, protecting and sustaining the Refuge's natural resources, including a strategic land protection plan for future land acquisition, improvements to habitats, migratory bird populations and threatened, endangered or rare species.
As funding becomes available, projects will include:
• Management of endangered waterbird species and their habitat at the Ki‘i and Punamanō Units of the Refuge with a focus on protection and successful nesting.
• Management of the coastal dunes/strand to protect and enhance the area for native vegetation, seabirds, other migratory birds, endangered ‘īlio-holo-i-ka-uaua, and threatened honu.
• Installation of fencing at appropriate locations throughout the Refuge to reduce the devastating impacts of alien predators on native wildlife.
When Congress amended the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (Act) in 1997, it incorporated an underlying philosophy that "wildlife comes first" on refuges. The Act provided the Service with guidance for managing refuges to ensure the long-term conservation of fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. It also established six priority public uses on National Wildlife Refuges: wildlife observation and photography, hunting, fishing, interpretation, and environmental education. The Act also requires all lands within the Refuge System to be managed in accordance with a CCP to ensure that the management of each refuge reflects the purposes of that refuge and the mission, policies and goals of the Refuge System.
The completion of the CCP fulfills the mandate of the Act. This multi-year planning process began for the James Campbell NWR in 2008 and involved interested individuals, local conservation and interest groups, research organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, local, state, and federal government agencies and elected officials. Public outreach included meetings, presentations, public open houses, distribution of planning updates, workshops and other engagement opportunities that helped the refuge to develop a sound management plan.
“The planning process provided a good opportunity for us to review what’s been accomplished on the refuge over its first 35 years and what we can do in the coming years,” Ellis said. “We had substantial public input, which has given us a good sense of what’s been working to date and what the challenges are for the future. We are thankful to our many partners who contributed to this planning effort.”
The final CCP for James Campbell is posted on the Refuge’s web site at http://www.fws.gov/jamescampbell/. You may also find the final CCP for Pearl Harbor posted at http://www.fws.gov/pearlharbor. Hard copies of both CCPs may be obtained from the Refuge office at 66-590 Kamehameha Highway, Room 2C, Hale‘iwa, Hawai‘i.
