Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan - U.S. Fish and Wildlife ...

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
The Open House is a labor-intensive event that requires participation by all of the staff for planning,
preparation, and execution. Throughout the morning of the event attendees arrive at the Refuge and
are guided to several open grass parking areas near the barn area in the Pua ‘Ākala Tract. Visitors are
then provided the opportunity to visit the Pua ‘Ākala Cabin, the greenhouse, and/or participate in a
guided hike. The Service, partner organizations, and agencies provide tour guides for the visiting
public. Refuge, Friends of Hakalau Forest, and partners’ exhibits are traditionally displayed at the
Pua ‘Ākala barn site.
Due to its remote location (1.5 hours from Hilo) and 1-hour drive time on a bumpy road in a fourwheel
drive vehicle, the number of visitors is limited. Public interest in the Refuge is substantial and
a family-friendly approach with greater support from a growing Friends Group and other partners has
improved attendance. This is consistent with the Refuge Connecting People with Nature priorities
and the need to expand access to all visitors.
The Youth Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps are youth employment programs offering a strong
environmental stewardship component that have been supported at Hakalau Forest NWR in the past
and remain valuable program options for the Refuge pending available staff and funding.
Hakalau Forest NWR is associated with a comprehensive environmental education program called
Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina (seeking good for the land) currently administered by NPS, Hawai‘i State
Department of Education, and the U.S. Army Garrison of Hawai‘i. The Service, along with these
partners, developed and established this program in 1999. The program has been very successful and
helps to instill a conservation ethic in local intermediate and high school students, who participate in
educational service trips to the Refuge and other areas. The Service hopes to continue to host and
provide support for Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina as a model for other islands to conduct hands-on
environmental education camps.
The Refuge issues a limited number of SUPs for tour groups to access the Refuge. The following
stipulations apply to all of the permits: each permittee is limited to 100 visitor days, eight SUPs are
issued per year, and all permittees are required to attend an all day orientation hosted by the Refuge
staff. During 2007, 309 individuals visited the Refuge through these SUPs.
Commercial photography occurs through an SUP process allowing access into Hakalau Forest NWR
under stringent conditions with a staff biologist escort for access to any closed areas. Only two
permits were issued in 2007; on average no more than five permits are issued per year. Refuge staff
generally conduct a 1-day orientation for new special use permit holders.
Off-Refuge outreach, environmental education, and interpretive activities are occasionally offered to
community groups. The staff also participates as an exhibitor in the annual Earth Day festival in Hilo
that attracts hundreds of students.
Kīpuka 21, an interpretive wayside exhibit and trail site on Saddle Road a few miles east of the
access road to the Refuge, is managed by DOFAW. The State is still working on developing the site
to provide easy access to Hawai‘i’s native forest birds. Once trail repairs are complete, individuals
will be able to commonly see midstory and forest canopy viewing of ‘apapane, ‘i‘iwi, and ‘amakihi.
The Refuge hopes to contribute to future interpretive efforts at the Kīpuka 21 site to provide basic
information about resources common to both sites (the Saddle road area and HFU).
Chapter 5. Social and Economic Environment 5-15