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Home My WebLink About2015-11-16 - Draft Habitat Conservation Plan for Game Management at Puuwaawaa & Puuanahulu: Napuu Conservation ProjectDraft Habitat Conservation Plan for Game Management at Pu'u Wa'awa'a and Pu'u Anahulu Need for a North Kona Game Mammal HCP • DLNR is mandated to provide public hunting opportunities as well as protection of endangered species •:• Hunting is a popular activity for many Hawaii residents ❖ Use of state and federal funds (Pittman Robertson Funds) for game management Why do we need an HCP? • Take of endangered species is illegal under state and federal law. •:• An ITL (Incidental Take License) authorizes take that is incidental to activities (e.g. game management) that are otherwise legal. ❖ A HCP must accompany an ITL 11/16/2015 Presentation Overview •:° What is an HCP and why do we need one? • Plan Area and Action Area ❖ Covered Activities • Covered Species ❖ Avoidance/Minimization and Mitigation ❖ Schedule HRS §171-3 and 183D Game Management 4• HRS §171-3 mandates that DLNR manage and administer forests, forest reserves, wildlife, wildlife sanctuaries, game management areas, public hunting areas, Natural Area Reserves (NARs), and other functions assigned by law. { HRS §1830-2 mandates that DLNR manage and administer the wildlife and wildlife resources of the State which, by definition, includes both game and non -game species. ti 51830-3 further mandates that DLNR adopt rules protecting, conserving, monitoring, propagating, and harvesting wildlife 4 Under 51830-4, DLNR is given the authority to maintain, manage, and operate game management areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and public hunting areas for these purposes. State HCP:HRS 195D Take = to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect endangered or threatened species of aquatic life or wildlife, or to cut, collect, uproot, destroy, injure, or possess endangered or threatened species of aquatic life or land plants, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct 1 State HCP:HRS 195D ❖ Increase survival and recovery of the covered species State HCP:HRS 195D No loss of genetic representation of the affected population State HCP:HRS 195D ❖ Covers both plants and animals 11/16/2015 State HCP:HRS 195D Considers full range of the species on the island so that cumulative impacts can be assessed State HCP:HRS 195D Must provide funding to implement the HCP and continue monitoring State HCP:HRS 195D The cumulative impacts must provide net environmental benefit 2 • Plan Area: 103.988 Acres Pu'u Wa'awa'a Forest Reserve and Pu'u Anahulu Game Management Area Home Range Sizes Mean female sheep = 9.35 km2 :• Mean male sheep = 12.02 km2 :• Goats = 16.30 km2 * Selected largest home range size (goats) and used to create area of impact around PWW and PAH border = 2.25 km Covered Activities :• Hunting and Harvest (PR funds) ❖ Game Habitat Enhancement (State funds) • Food plots • Mineral supplementation + Game Infrastructure • Guzzlers and troughs (State funds) • Informational signage (PR funds) • Hunter check stations(PRfunds) 11/16/2015 Sheep, goat and pig home ranges Covered Activities •:•Game Mammal Population Augmentation (State funds) :•Fire Management • Maintenance of access roads and fuel breaks (PR funds) • Cattle grazing • Prescribed burns 3 i • 9 9� �q • • P m FPS I .... • u roc North Kona Game Mammal HCP Area of Potential Impact - Plan 4rea Area of Potential impact lova, . - Hghway ryt prorate Inholdinge Eaclosurss (current and proposed) Covered Activities •:•Game Mammal Population Augmentation (State funds) :•Fire Management • Maintenance of access roads and fuel breaks (PR funds) • Cattle grazing • Prescribed burns 3 Plants: Covered Species Asplenium peruvianum var. insulore Hala pepe (Chrysodracon hawaiiensis) Kauila (Colubrina oppositifolia) Honohono (Haplostachys haplostachya) Ma'o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenrdgei subsp. Brackenridgei) Koki'o (Kokia drynarioides) Uhiuhi (Mezoneuron kavaiense) Neraudia ovata 'Aiea (Nothocestrum breviflorum) Po'e (Portulacca sclerocarpa) (2014) Hawaiian Catchfly (Silene lanceolate) PBpolo ku mai (Solanum incompletum) Stenogyne angustifolia A'e (Zanthoxylum dipetalum var. tomentosum) A'e (Zanthoxylum hawaiiensis) Insect: Blackburn's Sphinx moth (Manduca blackburni) 45 Exclosure Rational :•Exclosures contain: • 75% of known endangered plants covered under the HCP • locally rare species and species of concern • remnant forests with best remaining canopy • Unique cultural or biological features, eg lava tube systems or historical ranching features 11/16/2015 Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation • Exclosures • Fire management • Scheduled fuel break and road maintenance • Outplanting of Covered Species towards mitigation goal in exclosures • Support Research Existing Exclosures :All units within PWW (except 2 ten acre units in PAH) ❖11 units totaling 4,180 acres fenced :Current units = 4% of the Plan Area :Many small individual plant fences ('Aiea, A'e, Hala pepe, etc) 4 HCP Botemcal Surveys Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation • Exclosures • Fire management • Scheduled fuel break and road maintenance • Outplanting of Covered Species towards mitigation goal in exclosures • Support Research Existing Exclosures :All units within PWW (except 2 ten acre units in PAH) ❖11 units totaling 4,180 acres fenced :Current units = 4% of the Plan Area :Many small individual plant fences ('Aiea, A'e, Hala pepe, etc) 4 orth Kona Gam Habitat Co mrvvalion alar North Kona Mme Management abitat Comereanon e:an Total = 8,937 acres = 8.5 % of the Plan Area* HaEnzorth KOfla Cnnsen,am lar l Mit L. TO 'Exact footprint and location of these units may change based on ground surveys when implementing. 11/16/2015 Proposed Exclosures ❖Units in PWW and PAH +PWW management Plan (approved) = 3,400 acres Proposed Exclosures :Units in PWW and PAH :PWW management Plan (approved)=3,400 acres ❖HCP proposed = additional 1,357 acres Total proposed = 4,757 acres = 4.5 % of the Plan Area HCP Implementation Phasing +Phase 1 (years 0-8): Avoidance and Minimization Installation of Avoidance and Minimization fences (protect existing plant populations) Initiate exclosure management Full survey of each Covered plant species within exclosures (within a year of installation) • Initiate annual monitoring in exclosures • Begin mitigation in exclosures • Timed road clearing to avoid BSM take 5 HCP Implementation Phasing ❖Phase 2: (years 6-15): Mitigation • Installation of remaining Mitigation exclosures • Initiate exclosure management and outplanting to mitigation goals • Initiate mitigation monitoring • Initiate monitoring for BSM on 'Aiea outplants Public Review and Comment Period ri+-47 fi 120 days: November 8"' until Febru -y 260, 2016 +Document can be downloaded here: enter in website :•To request a printed copy, email: Edith Adkins Edith.d.adkins@ hawaii.gov •:•Public meeting date to be determined 11/16/2015 HCP Implementation Phasing ❖Phase 3: (years 16-25): Maintenance • Fence any remaining unfenced exclosures • Continued monitoring • Adaptive management based on monitoring results Permit Duration: 25 years with the potential to renew based on overall success Public Review and Comment Period Comments can be sent to: Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife 1151 Punchbowl Street Room 325 Honolulu, HI, 96813 Attn: Conservation Initiatives Coordinator, Afsheen Siddiqi Or email: Afsheen.A.Siddiqi@hawaii.gov 6