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

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Inventory units meet the size criteria for a WSA if any one of the following standards applies:
• An area with over 5,000 contiguous acres. State and private lands are not included in making
this acreage determination;
• A roadless island of any size. A roadless island is defined as an area surrounded by
permanent waters or that is markedly distinguished from the surrounding lands by
topographical or ecological features;
• An area of less than 5,000 contiguous Federal acres that is of sufficient size as to make
practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition, and of a size suitable for
wilderness management; or
• An area of less than 5,000 contiguous Federal acres that is contiguous with a designated
wilderness, recommended wilderness, or area under wilderness review by another Federal
wilderness managing agency such as the Forest Service, National Park Service, or Bureau of
Land Management.
Inventory Unit A is approximately 5,300 acres, which is just above the minimum threshold for
wilderness consideration. Large numbers of access road trails are used for Refuge management.
Although not suitable for public access, the road trails will be maintained and used to access the
difficult terrain that exists at the KFU. Inventory Unit A meets the minimum size criteria and
roadless as defined in the Wilderness Act does not apply. Therefore this unit meets this criteria for
Wilderness Study Area designation.
Inventory Unit B1 is approximately 9,000 acres. Large numbers of access road trails are used for
Refuge management. Although not suitable for access with standard vehicles, they are available to
four-wheel drive vehicles. The road trails will be maintained and used to access the HFU and
administrative site. Inventory Unit B1 meets the minimum size criteria and roadless as defined in the
Wilderness Act does not apply. Therefore this unit meets this criteria for Wilderness Study Area
designation.
Inventory Unit B2 is approximately 23,000 acres of roadless land. This unit meets the minimum size
and roadless criteria for Wilderness Study Area designation. Inventory Unit B2 meets the minimum
size criteria and roadless as defined in the Wilderness Act does not apply. Therefore this unit meets
this criteria for Wilderness Study Area designation.
Evaluation of the Naturalness Criteria
A WSA must meet the naturalness criteria. Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act defines wilderness as
an area that “…generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature with the
imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable.” The presence of ecologically accurate, historical
landscape conditions is not required. An area may include some manmade features and human
impacts provided they are substantially unnoticeable in the unit as a whole. Human-caused hazards,
such as the presence of unexploded ordnance from military activity, and the physical impacts of
refuge management facilities and activities are also considered in the evaluation of the naturalness
criteria. An area may not be considered unnatural in appearance solely on the basis of “sights and
sounds” of human impacts and activities outside the boundary of the unit. The cumulative effects of
these factors were considered in the evaluation of naturalness for each wilderness inventory unit.
Appendix D. Wilderness Review D-7