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

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
On the Island of Hawai‘i, there are presently two Watershed Partnerships in the vicinity of the
Refuge: Three Mountain Alliance and the Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance. The Big Island National
Wildlife Refuge Complex participates in both of these groups.
The largest Watershed Partnership in the islands, the Three Mountain Alliance (originally known as
the ‘Ōla‘a-Kīlauea Partnership), was formed in 2007 and covers 1,116,300 ac. With nine partners, the
overall goal of the Three Mountain Alliance (TMA) is to sustain the multiple ecosystem benefits of
the three mountains of Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai by responsibly managing its watershed
areas, native habitats and species, and historic, cultural, and socioeconomic resources for all who
benefit from the continued health of these three mountains.
The TMA was formed when members of the ‘Ōla‘a-Kīlauea Partnership (OKP), based on their
10-year success of partnering, decided to enlarge watershed protection and management to more than
1 million acres across Mauna Loa, Kīlauea, and Hualālai as part of an expanded Partnership.
Members have agreed there is a compelling need to collaborate on a wide variety of land
management issues in forested watersheds across this TMA landscape. Coordinated management
across this landscape is critical to sustain adequate quality and quantity of water and to provide
important habitat for a wide diversity of native plants and animals, including endangered species. In
addition, the health of these lands is strongly connected with the quality of life for people and local
communities. Even in the absence of a formal partnership, private and public landowners in this
region have recognized the value of collaboration to address shared management challenges such as
invasive weeds, fire, and feral cattle.
The OKP has been highly successful in addressing conservation challenges within a 30,000 ac area,
centered on the ‘Ōla‘a Tract of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). The OKP includes the
State (DLNR, Department of Public Safety), National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.
Geological Survey Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Kamehameha Schools, U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy.
Cooperating in the areas of staff expertise and funding to conserve native ecosystems for over a
decade has significantly reduced the threats of invasive ungulates and weeds on Federal, State, and
private lands.
The TMA includes the original Federal, State, and private partners of the OKP, as well as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Other agencies and key
private landowners with a management interest in the landscape issues will be invited to join the
TMA to participate in collaborative efforts addressing specific management challenges.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlines the following overall principles that serve as the
foundation of the TMA:
� The three mountains of Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai are ancient, sacred to Hawaiians, and
critically important to the life, health, and well being of the native ecosystems and human
communities that inhabit them;
� TMA members have a responsibility (kuleana) to care for these mountains, including native
ecosystems and human communities that share this landscape;
� Management is needed to maintain healthy forested watersheds on the slopes of Kīlauea, Mauna
Loa, and Hualālai to sustain the future quality and quantity of fresh water;
Chapter 1. Introduction and Background 1-15