Alakaʻi Wilderness Expansion: The Division of Forestry and Wildlife, part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, is seeking public comment on a plan to increase by 2,400 acres the protected area of the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve on Kauaʻi.
The preserve is the headwaters of three streams – Mohihi, Waikoali, and Kawaikoi – and the area proposed for protection is a healthy forest that is home to rare native birds, plants, and invertebrates. The project would protect the area from ungulates by fencing it off while still allowing public access by means of gates and stepovers.
A QR code linking to the public survey appears on the Story Map for the Alakaʻi Wilderness story map. See https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/comment/
A hike of the Alakaʻi Swamp Boardwalk is scheduled for March 14. To sign up, use the separate QR code that appears on the Alakaʻi Wilderness Story Map.
Pālamanui Protection: DOFAW is also receiving public comment until March 15 on the plan to protect the Pālamanui Dryland Forest, on 800 state-owned acres of the arid west side of Hawaiʻi island that are make up “one of Hawaiʻi’s most critically endangered ecosystems,” DOFAW states.
“This unique landscape faces urgent threats, including wildfires, invasive species, harmful insects, and non-native ungulates such as sheep and goats,” according to DOFAW.
The project is a partnership between DLNR/DOFAW and the Hawaiʻi Community College – Pālamanui to co-manage and restore the land, strengthen conservation, and expand educational opportunities.
To comment, see the link above.
A Bounty on Deer: To help control the axis deer populations on Maui Nui, DOFAW has instituted a Landowner Incentive Program that pays participating landowners $50 for each axis deer tail they submit, subject to funding.
Private landowners and lessees were to apply to the program by February 15.
“This program aims to motivate landowners on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi to remove more axis deer from their properties and improve protection efforts for the state’s threatened natural and agricultural resources,” DOFAW stated in a news release announcing the program.
Participants still have to abide by game hunting laws. And the contracts with participants last just one year.
— Patricia Tummons