Detailed Project Descriptions : Hawaii | Maui | Oahu | Kauai | Lyon Arboretum

Summary of Endangered Plant Projects
(Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act plus Candidate Conservation Agreements) Fiscal Year 2005 (FY 05)

Utilizing DOFAW staff time and cash from the Natural Area Reserve Fund (NARF) from conveyance fees as cost-share and match for Endangered Species Act grants, a wide range of rare plant actions were continued in FY 05. The focus of the Rare Plant Program continues to be habitat protection, enhancement, and outplanting, benefiting rare plant species as well as supporting other native Hawaiian flora and fauna. The mid-elevation rare plant nurseries on Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai remain the heart of restoration efforts. On a statewide basis, Lyon Arboretum Tissue Culture Facility (Oahu) continues to serve as a genetic storage facility in addition to a propagation nursery for preservation of Hawaii's most rare plants, which are sustained in vitro as germplasm storage collections, as transitional plants in greenhouses, and in the Seed Storage.

On Oahu, preparation for expansions to the Pahole Rare Plant Facility and coordinating use by cooperators was the emphasis for the past year. A master plan for the Pahole facility is near completion by the Natural Area Reserve staff, addressing issues such as water collection and storage, irrigation systems, storage issues, helipads, service areas, and office space. Design work was completed for an additional 2,500 square feet of nursery space, a new access road, erosion repairs, plus a drainage strategy. Staff for the facility has been in transition for most of the year and at the end of June 30, two positions at the nursery had been open for several months. The Oahu Genetic Safety Net Coordinator focuses on management for 27 rare Oahu species having less than 50 individuals left in their natural habitat by monitoring/enhancing/stabilizing plants on state, county and private lands. These small-scale efforts must be taken to decrease the chances of extinction of these species. Finally, the Dillingham Nursery was established for the Abutilon menziesii Habitat Conservation Plan and for restoration of rare plant species in coastal/strand communities. Monitoring/management of the two Abutilon populations are ongoing with the past year an additional population was established at Diamond Head State Park.

On Kauai, the Kokee Rare Plant Facility focuses on propagation of 26 endangered species and other rare Kauai plants for out planting. Over 700 individual plants were outplanted by staff supported by funds from the Endangered Species Act. Highlights of the species outplanted include Munroidendron racemosum, Hibiscadelphus distans, and Nototrichium divaricatum, a rare species discovered in 1996 in the Na Pali area of Kauai. A Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA) project is fencing a portion of Kuia Natural Area Reserve. Staff maintained 15 fenced enclosures protecting rare plant species. The National Tropical Botanical Garden is in year two of a three-year grant for management of the Limahuli Watershed via a CCA grant. Baseline surveys & collections of plants that are Candidates to be listed as Endangered plus other rare species in this watershed have been completed with propagation and out planting ongoing with cooperation of Kauai DOFAW staff. Species included in the Limahuli CCA grant are Cyanea kuhihewa, Delissea niihauensis subsp. kauaiensis, Melicope paniculata, Phyllostegia renovans, and Pritchardia limahuliensis. An additional ongoing project is a cooperative research project with University of Hawaii, concerning the effectiveness of bird/insect pollination of one of Hawaii's unique plant groups, lobelioids.

On Hawaii, the Volcano Rare Plant Facility continues as a multi-agency collaboration with DOFAW as the lead agency. The number of plants originating from the Volcano Facility for numerous out planting programs on the Big Island was 4,604, of which almost 3,800 are listed as endangered by state and federal laws. The most successful project in the State remains the silversword project organized by Dr. Rob Robicheaux of the University of Arizona. Over 2,500 silverswords were out planted last year in their natural habitat. Almost 500 individual plants of 20 rare plant species were reintroduced within the Big Island Natural Area Reserve System in the past year. Within the Puu O Umi and Kipahoehoe Natural Areas, perimeter fencing projects are proceeding, providing protected locations to outplant species such as Phyllostegia floribunda and Phyllostegia warshaueri. Ungulate control continues in Manuka NAR and the Wright Road unit of Puu Makaala, protecting plant such as Diellia erecta and Gardenia brighamii. A result of this year's efforts has resulted in the lava flow unit of Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve being entirely free of ungulates. Additional advances were made in Manuka Natural Area were make in the control of fountain grass with a complete sweep of 1000 acres in the lower area of the Reserve. Weed control, road and fence line maintenance, and trail repairs are on going throughout the year in the Natural Area Reserves on the island of Hawaii. Within the South Kona Forest Reserve, surveys continue for rare species (93 individuals of 5 species discovered this year), enclosure construction, weed control, and restoration with 68 individuals of five rare plant species out planted. These species include Clermontia lindseyana and Cyanea stictophylla. In the Puu Waawaa area, propagule collection, fence maintenance, and weed control continues at the bird sanctuary, cabin and Delissea enclosure areas. Approximately 1,000 individuals were out planted in these enclosures, including over 500 endangered individuals of 10 species. Surveys for rare plants within the Malama Ki and Mauna Loa Mosaic areas were completed with 14 rare species located within the Mosaic area and two in Malama Ki. The high quality of habitat and vegetation within the Mosaic area indicates the area is a good candidate for designation of a Natural Area Reserve.

On Maui, building the Olinda Rare Plant Facility continued with acquisition of water at the site and bids for the nursery construction plus oversight by a part-time horticulturist. The limiting factor has been scheduling construction around the nesting of birds at the adjacent Olinda Bird Facility. Genetic Safety Net meetings for the Maui County plant species is being funded by a federal Section 6 grant with coordination by Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. Funding for a two-year coordinator's salary has been secured from United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). For the Kanaio Natural Area fencing project, an environmental assessment was completed, the area to be protected with a deer proof fence was expanded, an archeological survey completed for the realigned area, an invitation to bid was issued and a contractor was selected for the north east section of the fence. Out plantings of rare species were accomplished within a protected area of the Kanaio with invasive plant management and rodenticide control.

The focus of the Rare Plant Program continues to be habitat protection and enhancement, benefiting plant species as well as supporting other native Hawaiian fauna. A wide range of management activities were continued within the State of Hawaii in the fiscal year 2004 (utilizing staff time and Natural Area Reserve Funds (NARF) as cost-share for Federal Section 6 grants),and three new rare plant projects were initiated (due to the cash match provided by the NARF).

Information taken from Annual reports for the:
Statewide Endangered Plant Program
Endangered Species Act - Section 6

Period Covered July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005

Prepared by:

Vickie Caraway, State Botanist
Lyman Perry, Botanist, Hawaii
Galen Kawakami, Kauai Branch Protection Forester
Brent Liesemeyer, Natural Area Reserve Biologist, Oahu
Bryon Stevens, Natural Area Reserve Specialist, Maui
Jay Hatayama, Hawaii Branch Protection Forester, Hawaii
Nick Agorastos, Natural Area Reserve Specialist, Hawaii
Greg Mansker, Horticultural Specialist, Oahu
Patty Moriyasu, Volcano Rare Plant Researcher Associate, Hawaii
Nellie Sugii, Junior Researcher, Lyon Arboretum, University of Hawaii
Maya LeGrande, Native Resource Management Specialist, Oahu
Anna Palomino, Olinda Rare Plant Horticulturist, Maui
Alvin Yoshinaga, Junior Researcher, Center for Conservation, Research and Training, University of Hawaii

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