This page last revised 30 August 2006 -- S.M.Gon III
Introduction
Ecoregion
Conservation Targets
Viability
Goals
Portfolio
TNC Action Sites
Threats
Strategies
Acknowledgements
▫
Tables
Maps & Figures
CPT Database
Appendices
Glossary
Sources
The bulk of the species of the endangered genus Achatinella are found in the lowland wet system of the Ko'olau conservation area.
Although not a rich forest bird site, the wet forest of the Ko'olau
conservation area supports common endemic birds such as this 'apapane (Himatione sanguinea).
Endemic lobeliad Cyanea superba in Lowland Mesic habitat, Wai'anae Mountains, O'ahu.
Appendix:
O‘ahu Strategies
1998 ERP Strategic Summary
The 1998 ERP summarized strategies for the specific needs of each of the conservation areas defined by the large native landscapes of each major island. The directives established then have largely been realized and continue to evolve. In 1998, TNC had one major landholding, a lease agreement with James Campbell Estate for the summit crest region of the southern Wai‘anae Mountains. The ERP recommended the following for O‘ahu:
- We believe expanded conservation of Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau sites depends on establishing an active partnership with the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army, the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and at least one of the major private landowners (e.g., Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, the Estate of James Campbell, or Castle and Cooke, Inc.).
- The fledgling Ko‘olau watershed partnership may serve this purpose for the Ko‘olau range, but we would like to establish an island-wide partnership with the above parties to identify and co-fund a set of projects to 1) test the feasibility of preventing alien species damage in the most intact, remote areas, 2) bring the best available stewardship to a set of smaller, high-diversity “hotspots” at lower elevations, and 3) engage the O‘ahu community directly in the conservation of these places.
- TNC's proposed role is to re-deploy existing O‘ahu positions to promote such a partnership and help carry out its projects.
- We will also work to build the capacity of the USFWS on the island via the establishment of the O‘ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge
- Sustain the U.S. Army's ecosystem management program through cooperative projects and continued advocacy for funding of the program at the legislative level.
- Whether or not this partnership adopts a vision of landscape-scale conservation for O‘ahu (versus concentrating only on a set of smaller, intensively protected “specimen” sites for long-term maintenance), TNC will pursue an aggressive community outreach strategy on this island to build political support for biodiversity conservation statewide.
- NOTE: see also the Waianae
Mountains Site Conservation Plan.
2006 Strategic Update
The Army's efforts have been visible in both Ko‘olau and Wai‘anae landscapes, and major mitigation planning for endangered species in Makua Valley (an Army Training Area in the Wai‘anae Mountains) proposes establishment of numerous management units in both the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau Mountains. However, there has been no significant progress in an overall Wai‘anae Mountains Watershed partnership, though some smaller, subregional partnerships are forming (e.g., in the Wai‘anae Kai - Makaha watersheds).
The USFWS O‘ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge (4,775 acres) was established in December 2000, and has engaged in some cooperative management projects with the Army and DOFAW via the Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership, including trail maintenance, remote campsite establishment, and limited weed control.
Use these links to access additional details about the two conservation areas of O‘ahu: Wai‘anae Conservation Area and Ko‘olau Conservation Area.
Native montane wet forest on the summit of Ka'ala, Wai'anae Mountains
