Kauai wildlife refuge slated to double in size

Kauai wildlife refuge slated to double in size
- 2004-07-20 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

A bill to more than double the size of Kauai's Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and goes to the Senate.

The Kilauea refuge is one of the 10 most popular visitor attractions in the state with 300,000 visitors annually. Its steep cliffs, cool forests and windswept moors that make up habitat for several species of seabirds and the Hawaiian state bird the nene.

"This bill is a vital component of one of my principal goals in Congress: to ensure that federal and/or state or private protection is extended to as many of Hawaii's threatened and irreplaceable areas as possible, both to ensure the survival and recovery of Hawaii's unique endangered and threatened species and to preserve the remaining unspoiled natural treasures of our beautiful islands for future generations," said Rep. Ed Case, who sponsored the bill.

The bill authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire 234 acres adjacent to the current refuge to provide habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds and to expand habitat for threatened and endangered seabirds and the nene.

The proposed expansion area also contains Kîlauea Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the state.

The owners of two of the five parcels comprising the 234 acres are likely to simply donate their land. Three parcels have been on the market for some time, although the owners are willing to convey those properties to the refuge.

Passage of the bill does not automatically make these areas a part of the Refuge. "I am hopeful that once the bill passes the Senate that the Fish and Wildlife Service will move rapidly to accept these incredibly generous donations," said Case. "I will also seek appropriations to acquire the other lands and will look at other options, such as grants and land exchanges to make this expansion a reality."