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

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
In the wilderness inventory, specific manmade features and other human impacts need to be
identified that affect the overall apparent naturalness of the tract. The following factors were primary
considerations in evaluating the naturalness of the inventory units:
Inventory Unit A:
• Field Camp;
• Remnant ranch fences, galvanized pipes, corrals, and agricultural equipment;
• High percentage of nonnative groundcover species;
• Ungulates and other animal pest species; and
• Gates, fences, and access road trails.
Inventory Unit B1:
• Administrative site including, maintenance building, housing cabins, greenhouse with
outbuildings, powerplant building, weather ports, UH field station;
• Remnant ranch fences, galvanized pipes, corrals, and agricultural equipment;
• High percentage of nonnative groundcover species;
• Ungulates and other animal pest species; and
• Gates, fences, parking areas, and access road trails.
Inventory Unit B2:
• Nonnative groundcover species, particularly at lowest elevations;
• Ungulates and other nonnative animal pest species present; and
• Remnant fences and gates left by previous owner.
Though in the CCP, removal of ranch debris has been identified as a strategy (which will improve the
naturalness of the area), inventory Unit A still contains numerous roadways, fences, gates, and
administrative field camp structures. This inventory unit does not meet the naturalness criteria.
Inventory Unit B1 is also a highly modified former ranchland area, containing stock ponds, corrals,
fences, nonnative tree plantings, administrative site buildings, and roadways. Water quality in
streams and rivers has been degraded through the introduction of sediment, animal waste, and
diseases. This inventory unit does not meet the naturalness criteria.
Inventory Unit B2 contains remnant abandoned fences and gates that only slightly detract from the
naturalness of the Unit and are a minor component of the landscape. Vegetative growth has muted
any visual impact and these manmade structures are substantially unnoticeable in the area as a whole.
Removal of these features would promote restoration of the natural character of this Unit. Overall,
the forces of nature sculpt the forest resources of this Unit. The naturalness of the forest in the upper
elevations of unit B2 has been modified somewhat with regard to species composition by invasion of
cattle and pigs from adjoining areas. The understory and groundcover have been altered through
eating and rooting by ungulates and has a groundcover that consists of mainly nonnative species.
There are areas of high rainfall that have been turned into mud wallows by pig rooting and soil
compaction from movement of cows and pigs. Water quality in streams and rivers may be degraded
through the introduction of sediment, animal waste, and diseases (e.g., leptospirosis) caused by
ungulates damaging understory and groundcover plants. Nonnative mosquitoes breed in the standing
water in wallows created by pigs and spread avian malaria and pox to native bird populations that
have completely eliminated native forest bird populations below 4,500 ft. However, native forest
D-8 Appendix D. Wilderness Review