{"id":14633,"date":"2022-09-01T07:28:14","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T17:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.environment-hawaii.org\/?p=14633"},"modified":"2022-09-01T07:28:15","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T17:28:15","slug":"5-maui-nui-nar-proposals-advance-as-commission-reflects-on-its-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/?p=14633","title":{"rendered":"5 Maui Nui NAR Proposals Advance, As Commission Reflects on its Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Above photo: Nakula Natural Area Reserve. Credit: DLNR<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nearly two years without a meeting, the state Natural Area Reserves System Commission finally met on August 18. Over the course of four hours, the members voted on five proposals \u2013 all from Maui County \u2013 to expand or establish natural area reserves. Finally, they considered what might be called an existential proposal: should the commission even continue to exist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the one hand, the discussion of the merits of the five proposals, along with comments from Department of Land and Natural Resources staff and a member of the public, showcased the broad expertise that commission members collectively possess. On the other, with the Legislature having eliminated NARS administrative staff positions and with the commission\u2019s decisions being merely advisory to the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the question arises as to whether the commission can continue to justify its existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nakula NAR Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First on the agenda was the proposed addition of around 361 acres to the Nakula NAR, on the leeward slopes of Haleakala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area, once heavily forested, has been converted into pasture, as a result of grazing by cattle, goats, and other hooved animals for more than a century. Upslope of the area lies the Nakula reserve, which, since its establishment a decade ago, has been the site of extensive and successful reforestation efforts. As the proposal states, \u201cMore than 450,000 trees have been planted, and countless more seedlings have naturally regrown after hooved animals were removed from the area. Additionally, endangered seabirds have also begun to recolonize the restoration area, and predator control efforts are resulting in nesting success for this rare species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To illustrate the potential, a small area of grassland in the proposed expansion area was fenced, ungulates removed, and native trees planted. Six years later, the forest had returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pat Hart, a commissioner representing the University of Hawai\u02bbi, commented that the extension \u201cseems like a no-brainer.\u201d Commission chair Jay Penniman, noting that the Nakula NAR was where a failed attempt to reintroduce kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill) was made in 2019, described it as a \u201cclearly needed addition to improve the habitat.\u201d In addition, he said, the area could potentially be a site for reintroduction of the \u02bbalala (Hawaiian crow).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of its inaccessibility, the area is not used by hunters. Most access is via helicopter, said Emma Yuen, the commission\u2019s de facto staff person who made the presentation. While hikers may be able to reach it with some difficulty from the upslope area, one commissioner noted that hiking from downslope was dangerous. In addition to the steep, rugged slope itself, wild cattle and dogs added to the peril, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the full BLNR, with a recommendation for approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaumanu NAR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Hana coast, north and west of Waianapanapa State Park, lie the 620 acres of what is proposed to be the Kaumanu Natural Area Reserve. The report presented to the commission notes that designation and management as a NAR would \u201cexpand protections for a windward coastal forest of hala (Pandanus tectorius<\/em>), a large population of the endangered Ischaemum byrone<\/em> grass, and other native plants and wildlife.\u201d    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile coastal hala forests likely covered most windward shores in Hawai\u02bbi before human contact, these accessible areas have been almost entirely replaced by development and agriculture,\u201d the report states. \u201cFew larger tracts of this coastal forest type remain, and many forests that still exist were spared due to their remoteness or by clinging to steep cliffs. This coastal hala forest in Kaumanu provides an opportunity for active management because it is accessible and relatively flat. It also presents opportunities for nature education and community co-stewardship to reconnect with and restore plants and animals unique to Hawai\u02bbi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site is bisected by the Hana airport, prompting some commissioners to question whether nighttime airport operations might present a problem. Yuen responded by noting that the airport had no nighttime flights. According to the proposal, the Department of Land and Natural Resources \u201ccould partner with the Department of Transportation to co-manage their section of the coastline and potentially use the fencing already constructed for the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commissioners voted to forward their recommendation for approval to BLNR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u02bbAhihi-Kina\u02bbu NAR Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DLNR staff proposed two extensions to the \u02bbAhihi-Kina\u02bbu NAR, the first reserve established by the state and the only one to date that includes a marine component. It is also, Yuen said, the third most popular visitor destination on Maui. Peter Landon, who helps manage the Maui reserves, said \u02bbAhihi-Kina\u02bbu receives between 800 and 1,500 visitors a day and all the rubbish and waste that that generates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed extensions would expand the reserve\u2019s land area to the northwest and southeast by adding six parcels totaling around 23 acres. The additions, Yuen said, would facilitate the management of core properties in the area. \u201cIt\u2019s the wild west right now,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are parking all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fishing in the marine component of the NAR would continue to be prohibited, but fishing off the proposed additional land areas would be allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commissioners noted existing problems in the area, including the ability of tourists to rent camping vans and park in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landon elaborated on the problems of enforcing NAR rules as well as DLNR rules for adjoining unencumbered lands. \u201cThe boundary of the marine portion is hard to enforce,\u201d he said. \u201cIt takes a fair amount of staff effort just to get a bust. The protection of the marine boundary of \u02bbAhihi-Kina\u02bbu, by adding these lands as a buffer, is kind of the main intention of wanting to add these areas. Poaching is the No. 1 thing we deal with,” he said, and the addition of the small parcels to the reserve \u201care strategic for enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of weird stuff happens before the official Na Ala Hele trail starts,\u201d Landon added, referring to the Hoapili trail that starts at Keone\u02bbo\u02bbio (La Perouse Bay). \u201cCommercial activities. Archaeological sites that aren\u2019t protected. Right now, cultural sites that are connected to ones in the reserve, but are on the fringe, are not being protected, cultural resources on both north and south sides, with a high concentration on the Keone\u02bbo\u02bbio side.\u201d
Both NARS staff and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife have endorsed the additions as a helpful tool in managing the situation, he said. He stressed that the \u201centrenched homeless\u201d posed an ongoing problem. All the neighbors in the area supported the expansion in informal meetings, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission unanimously voted to forward its recommendation for approval to the BLNR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(On the same day as the NARS Commission meeting, August 18, the Maui County Council\u2019s Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee heard a resolution asking the county\u2019s three island planning commissions to weigh in on a proposed ordinance to ban \u201cmobile vacation dwellings.\u201d The measure was deferred, with the planning commissions already considering limits on campers in a bill limiting vacation rentals.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanaio NAR Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 440 acres are proposed to be added to Maui\u2019s Kanaio NAR, on the southwestern flank of Haleakala. Unlike the other lands proposed for NAR inclusion, which are all in the state Conservation District, this area is unencumbered land in the state Agricultural District. Until 1994, it was under lease to Ulupalakua Ranch for pasture purposes. \u201cHowever,\u201d the staff report states, \u201cmuch of the area proposed for addition to the reserve was of limited value as pasture due to the rocky terrain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oddly shaped parcel would allow for management to extend efforts to protect and restore the dryland forest that once characterized the area. As the report notes, \u201cHistorically, the leeward dryland forest of Maui was one of the richest areas in native tree species in the state. Dr. Joseph Rock, in The Indigenous Trees of the Hawaiian Islands,<\/em> identified the Auwahi region on the southern slope of Haleakala as one of the most important botanical sites in the islands, even though it had been seriously degraded by browsing goats and cattle and by fire when he first saw it in 1910.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area proposed for addition to the existing NAR \u201cwill facilitate management for invasive plants, particularly black wattle (Acacia mearnsii<\/em>),\u201d the report states. \u201cThe area within the NAR has had extensive wattle control, however, this proposed area has sizable wattle populations which blow seeds into the existing NAR areas.\u201d The remnant \u02bbohi\u02bba forest in the upland section could be restored with management, while the \u02bba\u02bba flow at the west end of the addition area also has remnant native species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The addition wraps around the existing Auwaui reserve on the north and eastern sides. There, private restoration efforts have been going on for decades, with spectacular results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission forwarded the proposal to the BLNR with its recommendation for approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pu\u02bbu Ali\u02bbI Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Waikolu Valley. Credit: DLNR<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The proposal to expand the existing Pu\u02bbu Ali\u02bbi NAR on the north shore of Moloka\u02bbi by adding some 2,000 acres that make up Waikolu Valley was the only item on the commission\u2019s agenda that attracted public testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lori Buchanan, a Moloka\u02bbi resident and coordinator for the Moloka\u02bbi\/Maui Invasive Species Committee, asked that action on the proposal be deferred to allow further outreach to the Moloka\u02bbi community. Although she said that she supported the expansion, \u201cI want also to tell NARS Commission members there\u2019s a big disconnect between the public and the NARS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeferment of designation is a deferment of our ability to manage,\u201d Yuen responded. \u201cThe way I envision this step is, the NARS Commission itself is a scientific advisory board that gives the first decision-making ability on whether land itself is valid, from a scientific perspective, to be included in the Natural Area Reserves System. Only after you folks approve do we then interact with the public. We want to make sure it has that first standard of oversight. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very short staffed. I\u2019m the only admin person. And I\u2019m only able to do the bare minimum for what\u2019s required to hold these meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commission members strongly supported the proposal. Hart stated that Waikolu Stream \u201cis the most significant in biodiversity that I\u2019ve ever seen in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landon pointed out the difference between managing the area as a part of the state Forest Reserve system \u2013 of which it already is a part \u2013 and managing it as a NAR. The NAR designation \u201cputs a higher priority on ungulate control, managing for threatened and endangered species, invasive species control. \u2026 Another good reason for this is, there\u2019s not a lot of areas in the forest reserve where you protect streams from their source to the ocean. This is a prime example of a place we can do this. This is one of the nicest water sources that exists on a very dry island. There\u2019s a whole lot of reasons why this should go into a NAR.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A motion was made, and approved, to move forward with the proposal, \u201cwith an emphasis on public outreach\u201d before it reaches the Board of Land and Natural Resources for a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commission\u2019s Future<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe governor\u2019s office has requested a review of all commissions, committees, councils, and other groups to see whether they are still necessary, in the effort to streamline government operations.\u201d In her submittal to the commission, Yuen referred to that request as the apparent impetus for reviewing the NARS Commission\u2019s reason for existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Yuen noted that she had had to assume the duties of three staff positions in light of resignations and staff cuts. \u201cWe did get some back last [legislative] session\u201d she noted, \u201cbut it will take time to fill them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission is established by Hawai\u02bbi Revised Statutes \u00a7195-6, with its powers and duties set forth in HRS \u00a7195-7. Among other things, the commission is to: set forth criteria for determining if an area is suitable for inclusion in the NAR system; establish policies relating to the management of and permitted uses within the reserves; and advise public agencies, including the DLNR, on the areas under their jurisdiction that might be appropriate for NAR system inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meetings in recent years have been far less frequent than in years past, Yuen wrote, noting that, \u201ceven before the pandemic there was a trend of fewer meetings. \u2026 One potential reason for this trend is that the commission has delegated many permitting authorities to the division. Additionally, commissioners infrequently call for meetings to be held to discuss items.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, the commissioners do not necessarily need to hold meetings in order to make recommendations to the DLNR, Yuen continued. \u201cFor example, if a commissioner is an expert on seabirds, staff may decide to seek advice on an issue directly with the commissioner rather than call a meeting to discuss that topic. Further, there are a growing number of other conservation-related focus groups, such as the Hawai\u02bbi Rare Plant Restoration Group, which serve as informal advisory bodies for many of the conservation topics that the NARS Commission would otherwise address. While these advisory bodies do not have the same authority as the commission, they provide a more flexible way to gain outside expertise on an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff within the Division of Forestry and Wildlife also provide policy recommendations \u201con all matters of natural area protection, including identifying new NARS, submitting legislative proposals and budget requests, and identifying management actions to protect these areas,\u201d Yuen\u2019s report goes on to say. \u201cThe historical trend of the commission affirming the staff recommendation for most items reflects that shift towards reliance on the civil service staff to manage and make decisions for the NARS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other points raised in her report note that while NARS Commission meetings are subject to the state Sunshine Law, \u201cthere has been very little public attendance or testimony in these meetings.\u201d Eliminating commission meetings still allows for public input when NARS proposals are brought to the Land Board and, in the case of board approval, when the required public hearing on a proposed NAR is held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legislature has eliminated the position of NARS executive secretary, the sole staff position dedicated to managing the commission, Yuen wrote: \u201cThe formal process of managing nominations, adhering to Sunshine meeting requires, and other duties of holding a commission [meeting] detracts from the department\u2019s capacity to dedicate toward direct natural resource management.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is just a status check,\u201d Yuen told the commissioners, adding that she wanted to see \u201cwhat you folks feel the benefits of the commission are, whether you want things to change in the future. How you see your role. It\u2019s fine to go with the status quo if that\u2019s what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commissioner Hart said he felt that several of the commission\u2019s legally enumerated powers \u201care a little antiquated as to where the state has gone since the commission was formed. \u2026 I think a lot of what the powers and duties of the commission are have been coopted already by other agencies. We are kind of here as a little bit of a rubber stamp, unfortunately, for a lot of this. At the same time, I feel there\u2019s value in having a commission to move all of these requests forward. \u2026 Overall, it\u2019s too early to abolish it. I want to think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Lou Kobayashi, representing the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, agreed that it was good to keep the status quo, although it might be appropriate to review the commission\u2019s powers and duties, \u201cin light of them being 50 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other commissioners agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the meeting drew to a close, commissioners and Yuen took time to reflect on losses to the program since the last meeting. Betsy Gagn\u00e8, for years the NARS Commission executive secretary, passed away in March 2020. Earlier this year, Fern Duvall, the NARS manager on Maui, died, just months after retiring. And just a few weeks before the commission\u2019s meeting, former NARS commissioner Dieter Mueller-Dombois, a champion of Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s native forests, passed away. Finally, there was the recent death of former commissioner Nate Yuen, a self-taught naturalist, avid hiker, and a photographer whose work did much to advance the public\u2019s appreciation and understanding of Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Patricia Tummons<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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