WAO KELE O PUNA Biological Management Plan
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WAO KELE O PUNA BiologicalPhoto Courtesy Management Betsy Gagne Plan PROGRAM COOPERATORS DIVISION OF OFFICE OF PACIFIC DLNR FORESTRY & WILDLIFE LEGACY LANDS HAWAIIAN COOPERATIVE HAWAII ISLAND AFFAIRS STUDIES UNIT Prepared by Julie Leialoha DLNR Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve Coordinator 1 WAO KELE O PUNA FOREST RESERVE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This plan is a site-specific plan prepared by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) for Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve – Hawaii County, State of Hawai‘i. This plan presents a brief history of the forest reserve owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) but jointly manged with DLNR-DOFAW along with descriptions of cultural, geological and natural resources, and proposed management recommendations. Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve was first established as the Puna Forest Reserve by Governor’s Proclamation on June 29, 1911. At the time it consisted of 16,843.89 acres. A second parcel of land consisting of 8,890.275 acres was placed into the Puna Forest Reserve by Governors Proclamation on December 22, 1928. These parcels combined or, 25,856-acres, currently makes up the Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve . However, since 1928, the reserve has undergone a number of administrative changes beginning primarily in 1981. The convoluted history of these changes will be addressed in detail in the land use (reserve history) section of this report. In short, the reserve has gone from public land under the administration of the State’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), to privately owned holding by Campbell Estate in a controversial, though State supported land-swap, then back to public land currently owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and managed by DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR/DOFAW) in a joint memorandum of agreement signed in June of 2006 (henceforth known as the “agreement”). The current agreement is scheduled to expire in June of 2016. It is expected that OHA will then take full control of all aspects to manage the reserve, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by OHA and DLNR. The Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve is important for preserving Hawaii’s unique 2 native forest ecosystems, its species, as well as its cultural significance. There are a wide variety of rare or endangered plants and animals. Endangered birds for which the continuing health of the Reserve may be a critical factor include the ‘I’o (Buteo solitaries), Hawai‘i Creeper (Oreomystis mana) and Hawai‘i ‘akepa (Loxops coccineus), including a known regular visitor to the reserve, the Newell Shearwater or a’o (Puffinus auricularis newell). Rare plants found in the reserve include the ‘aku (Cyanea tritomantha), an endemic species with a unique spiny-like (false thorns) features running along its stems, and the nanu or na’u, or Hawaiian gardenia (Gardenia remyil), also endemic to Hawaii’s forest ecosystems. The rare and endemic mammal, the Hawaiian hoary-bat, or ‘ope’ape’a (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) is a known in inhabitant of the reserve. In addition, surveys of cave dwelling arthropods by Bishop Musuem entomologist have found rare organisms including the cave-dwelling-plant-hopper (Oliarus polyphemus). Survival and recovery of these rare native plants and animals depend upon preservation of habitat by reducing impacts from threats such as ungulates, disease-bearing mosquitoes and other invasive insects, non-native predators, introduced diseases and invasive plants. The Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve contains resources that are vital for maintaining Hawaiian culture and practices. Hawaiians consider native plants and animals as family and have a strong spiritual connection to the mountain landscape and the forest itself. Gathering plants such as ferns, maile (Alyxia oliviformis), flowers, fruits, and other materials cannot be perpetuated into the future unless the forest remains relatively pristine. Recent history of legal events in the reserve led to a land mark ruling solidifying gathering rights for Native Hawaiians, which focused on access into traditional gathering areas (Pele Defense Fund –vs- Campbell Estate). The ruling, which directly affected the Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve, could have wider implications on traditional gathering rights of Native Hawaiians at a state wide level. However, the intent here is to signify the importance of Wao Kele O Puna as an important resource area for traditional Native Hawaiian gatherers and/or practitioners. 3 Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve is an important area for public use which also includes hunting, potential recreational opportunities, and educational programs and activities. There is currently limited public access to most of this reserve. There is only one legal public access route into the reserve located just above the town of Pahoa in lower Puna. The access road traverses through neighborhood communities along a county roadway and through a private parcel owned by Olsson Trust, of which OHA owns road easement rights through Olsson Trust properties and into the reserve. The legal access route is commonly referred to as the “geothermal access road”. Though other limited access points are available, they require permission from private land owners or written negotiations with community associations for access usually for a limited period of time, prior to entering the reserve through these access points. Most access roads, particularly those in the upper Puna sub-divisions leading to the reserve, are privately held by community associations and its members. This has been a source of contention from owners who are being trespassed upon by private individuals, who use these access points without the permission of the land owner or community association. Though the reserve itself is considered public-lands, the majority of the reserve is surrounded by privately held parcels that buttress the reserve. In essence, with exception being the legal access road in lower Puna, the reserve itself is basically land-locked. There are two other public easements possible, but one would require a day-long hike through the Hawaii Volcanoes National park to get to the boundaries of Wao Kele O Puna, and the other route through the Kahau’ale’a Natural Area Reserve, which is currently closed by the State and County of Hawaii due to the continuous eruption of Pu’u ‘O’o. Though individuals have historically entered the reserve this way, they too often exit and trespass onto privately owned parcels, which has been a continuous source of disputation. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 8 II. PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................... 9 A. Location and Description ............................................................................................. 9 B. Land Use ...................................................................................................................... 12 II.B.1 Reserve History ............................................................................................... 12 II.B.2 SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES .......................................................... 16 II C PHYSICAL SITE DATA ................................................................................................................. 21 II.C.1 HYDROLOGY…………………………………………………………………..21 II.C.2 SOILS……………………………………………………………………………23 II.C.3 GEOLOGY……………………………………………………………………...26 II.C.4 CLIMATE………………………………………………………………………..33 II D Forest Ecosystems .................................................................................................. 33 II.D.1 Native Forest Communities and Flora……………………………………...33 II.D.2 Hyperspectral Imaging (LIDAR) and Field Study of Vegetion ................. 43 II.E.1 Native Wildlife ................................................................................................. 58 II.E.1 Passerines (Forest Birds) ...................................................................... 58 II.E.2 Procellariid (Seabirds)............................................................................ 64 II.E.3 Native Hawaiian Hoary Bat .................................................................... 66 II.E.4 Hawaiian Antrhopods ............................................................................. 71 II.E.2 Non-Native Wildlife II.E.2.1 Pigs ...................................................................................................... 72 II.E.2.2 Goats ................................................................................................... 75 II.E.2.3 Black Rats and Mongoose ................................................................... 76 II.E.2.4 Introduced Birds ................................................................................... 76 III Public Access and Recreation ...................................................................... 77 IV Revenue .......................................................................................................... 78 V Threats ............................................................................................................ 80 5 V.1 Invasive Non-Native Plant Species ............................................................... 80 V.I.I Miconia ................................................................................................. 81 V.I.2 Strawberry Guava ...............................................................................