Draft Environmental Assessment Appendix A Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve (NAR) Management Plan January 2012 Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325 Honolulu, HI 96813 Page 1 Draft Environmental Assessment Appendix A Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................5 PU‗U MAKA‗ALA NAR: BIOPHYSICAL RESOURCES ...........................................................6 Location ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Topography, Climate, Geology, and Soils .................................................................................. 8 Ecosystems and Species ............................................................................................................ 11 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................. 11 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................. 17 PU‗U MAKA‗ALA NAR: SOCIOCULTURAL RESOURCES ..................................................21 Land Use ................................................................................................................................... 21 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................... 23 Archaeological and Historic Sites ............................................................................................. 28 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................. 29 Regional Partnerships ............................................................................................................... 29 SUMMARY OF MAJOR THREATS ...........................................................................................32 Invasive Species - Ungulates .................................................................................................... 32 Invasive Species - Plants ........................................................................................................... 32 Invasive Species - Other Animals ............................................................................................. 33 Fire ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Additional Threats - Disease, Climate Change, Volcanic Activity, Illegal Human Activity ... 34 OVERVIEW OF EXISTING MANAGEMENT ...........................................................................35 Ungulate Management .............................................................................................................. 35 Weed Management ................................................................................................................... 36 Habitat Protection and Rare Species Restoration ..................................................................... 41 MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ......................................................................................................43 Ungulate Management .............................................................................................................. 43 Weed Management ................................................................................................................... 47 Habitat Protection and Rare Species Restoration Program....................................................... 49 Fire Prevention and Response ................................................................................................... 51 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 52 Public Access, Outreach and Education ................................................................................... 53 Enforcement .............................................................................................................................. 59 Page 2 Draft Environmental Assessment Appendix A Partnership Collaboration ......................................................................................................... 60 Infrastructure and Other Actions .............................................................................................. 61 BUDGET .......................................................................................................................................63 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................64 Appendix A – Plant Species List ...................................................................................................70 Appendix B - Pu‗u Maka‗ala Birds (birds historically/currently found in or near the NAR). .................................................................................................................................79 Appendix C - Insects and related arthropods, including land snails, collected and/or recorded from Pu‘u Maka‘ala NAR (Preston 1995). .........................................................80 Page 3 Draft Environmental Assessment Appendix A EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve (NAR or Reserve) is situated on lands within the upper portions of Waiākea ahupua‘a of the South Hilo District and the kalana (sub-district) of ‗Ōla‗a within the District of Puna. It was formally established in 1981 by Governor‘s Executive Order 3102 from lands withdrawn from the ‗Ōla‗a and Waiākea Forest Reserves (FR). The original 12,106 acre (ac) (4,899 hectare (ha)) Reserve was created to protect native wet forest. In November 2010, an additional 6,600 acres (2,671 ha) of the former Kūlani Correctional Facility property was added to the NAR, bringing the total acreage of the NAR to 18,706 acres (7,570 ha). This addition protects additional forest and native species as well as links important conservation areas including the ‗Ōla‗a Tract of Hawai‗i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) and the upper elevation native forests of Kīlauea, Keauhou, and Upper Waiākea. These forests comprise an important water resource for the lower Puna and Hilo regions of Hawai‘i island, and provide exceptional habitat for a wide diversity of native plant and animal species. The primary threats to biodiversity and watershed integrity at Pu‗u Maka‗ala NAR are feral ungulates (wild, hoofed animals such as pigs, sheep, goats and cattle), especially feral pigs (Sus scrofa) and non-native, invasive weeds. This management plan updates the 1989 Management Plan for Pu‘u Maka‘ala NAR to reflect management accomplishments and current management needs of this reserve, including proposed management for the Kūlani addition. Governor Abercrombie‘s A New Day in Hawai„i plan calls for the stewardship of the natural resources that our survival, economy, and quality of life depend on. Priority actions of this Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) initiative include managing invasive species, increasing Hawaii‘s ability to withstand impacts from climate change, and restoring capabilities of the DLNR by finding additional sources of funding. The New Day Status Report also tasks the DLNR to ensure mauka watersheds are fully functioning so fresh water resources can be utilized and enjoyed by the people of Hawai`i in perpetuity. The Rain Follows the Forest is the Department‘s plan to implement these central goals of the Abercrombie administration. The Rain Follows the Forest identifies priority watersheds, including Pu‗u Maka‗ala NAR, and outlines on-the-ground actions and projects required to protect and sustain Hawaii‘s critical water sources. The Pu‗u Maka‗ala Management Plan is aligned with the priorities and actions identified in The Rain follows the Forest. The overall management goal is to protect, maintain, and enhance Pu‘u Maka‘ala‘s unique natural, cultural, and geological resources. Management programs have been developed to support this overall goal and include the following: 1. Ungulate Management 2. Weed Management 3. Habitat Protection and Rare Species Restoration 4. Monitoring 5. Public Access, Outreach and Education 6. Fire Prevention and Response 7. Enforcement 8. Partnership Collaboration Page 4 Draft Environmental Assessment Appendix A 9. Infrastructure and Other Actions The 2012 Management Plan for Pu‗u Maka‗ala outlines the planned management activities in Pu‗u Maka‗ala over the next fifteen years, along with an estimated budget for full implementation. INTRODUCTION The Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) was created in 1971 by the Hawai‗i State Legislature to ―preserve in perpetuity specific land and water areas which support communities, as relatively unmodified as possible, of the natural flora and fauna, as well as geological sites, of Hawai‗i (HRS § 195-1).‖ The legislature further found that these unique natural assets should be protected and preserved, both for the enjoyment of future generations and to provide baselines against which changes to Hawaii‘s environment can be measured. The NARS is administered by the Hawai‗i