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

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Table 5-2. FY 2010 Visitation at the Hakalau Forest Unit.
Activity Number of individuals
Visitors On-Refuge
Wildlife Observation 591
Environmental Education 153
Interpretation 578
Wildlife Photography 10
Volunteer Program 488
Maulua Tract Visitation 208
Commercial Ecotourism 309
Independent Visitors 22
Visitors Off-Refuge
Refuge Office for Orientation 60
Interpretative Talks and Other Programs 578
Viewing Exhibits at Local Festivals, Fairs, and Events 2,000
In 2007, the Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR was formed from a small cadre of vested and interested
volunteers. The group is now 140 members strong and is implementing small interpretive projects on
and off the Refuge. The group also provides staff for a booth at the annual Open House where they
encourage members to join. Throughout the year they help organize volunteers to assist in the
greenhouse.
In 1992, HFU’s Upper Maulua Tract was opened to the public for public hunting (no dogs) to assist
with management of ungulates. Reservations were required and a maximum number of reservations
established. Middle and Lower Maulua Tract became open for public hunting (dogs allowed) in
1993. No reservations were required and a bag limit for each hunter set at two pigs. With the
successful fencing of the Upper Maulua Tract as well as the start of endangered species work, this
area was closed to public hunting in 2000 due to the reduction of the number of pigs. For this tract,
the levels of hunting use, based on 6 consecutive years of public hunting averaged 80 hunter days per
year. No requests for public hunting at HFU have occurred since 2000. Through the CCP it was
determined that public hunting was not a compatible use.
Kona Forest Unit
The KFU has never been opened to the public. The KFU is very difficult to access because of
extreme road conditions into a 5,300 ac parcel of native forest in South Kona and until very recently,
legal issues with access easements. Refuge staff may now access the area only after ascending an
easement road running parallel to the Refuge boundary from the Māmalahoa Highway at roughly
900 ft in elevation to the 5,300 ft level.
From 1997-2005 and despite the difficult road conditions, organized community groups received
occasional escorted access to the KFU. Of particular interest on the KFU are the lava tube skylights.
Unstable ground and holes adjacent to the skylights make viewing them hazardous and would require
viewing platforms to provide safe access.
Outreach/environmental education/interpretation activities offsite are performed on behalf of the
Refuge as described under HFU and cover both units of Hakalau Forest NWR.
5-16 Chapter 5. Social and Economic Environment