Public Comment Sought on Draft Environmental Assessment for ‘Ua‘u management at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Comments accepted until August 20, 2015

The Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR) is pleased to announce the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA), which evaluates the impact of Management Actions for Immediate Implementation to Reduce the Potential for Extirpation of ‘Ua‘u (Pterodroma sandwichensis, Hawaiian petrel, HAPE) from Kaua‘i. In 2014, a predator proof fence was constructed on the Refuge to serve as a future nesting site for listed seabirds, and the proposed management actions put forth in the DEA represent the next steps in restoring the area within the Nihokū fence and providing additional protection for several listed species.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), this DEA presents a review of the conservation efforts to date to protect the ‘Ua‘u on Kaua‘i, examines a range of alternative management measures, analyzes possible environmental effects of the alternatives, and serves as the basis for a decision by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on which alternative to implement. The management actions presented in the DEA include a no-action alternative, the use of social attraction techniques alone at the Nihokū restoration site within the Refuge, and the combination of social attraction with translocation of ‘Ua‘u chicks to the Nihokū restoration site (preferred alternative). None of the alternatives are expected to cause significant, irreversible impacts to the environment; therefore, the anticipated determination is a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). This project comes at a particularly important time for ‘Ua‘u, which are now potentially being exposed to predation by mongooses, a new introduced predator in Kaua‘i’s ecosystem.

The full DEA is now available for public review and comment and may be found at http://www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint/ . Printed copies may be requested by contacting Mike Mitchell, Deputy Refuge Manager, at (808) 828-1413 or by email at michael_mitchell@fws.gov. The deadline for public comment is August 20, 2015. Please submit comments by mail to the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex, P.O. Box 1128, Kīlauea, HI 96754, Attention: ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel) management or by email to FW1planningcomments@fws.gov with “‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel) management DEA” in the subject line. Mahalo in advance for your input and comments on this project.

The Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1985 to preserve and enhance seabird nesting colonies, and in 1988, the refuge was expanded to include Crater Hill (Nihokū) and Mōkōlea Point.