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

2.3.1 Kona Forest Unit (KFU)
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
2.3.1.1 Goal 1: Protect, maintain, and restore subtropical rainforest community on the
leeward slope of Mauna Loa as habitat for all life-history needs to promote the recovery of
endangered species (e.g., forest birds, ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, plants, and invertebrates).
Strategy definitions: Reforestation entails planting appropriate overstory species to bring habitat
into a basic forested condition. Restoration is the planting of koa to restore forested condition,
allowing time for development of a forest canopy, following up with later plantings of native
understory shrub species.
Objective 1.1: Restore and protect native montane wet ‘ōhi‘a forest.
Restore and then protect and maintain approximately 3,000 acres of native montane wet ‘ōhi‘a
forest habitat on the KFU for endangered plant and animal species, with special emphasis for the
repatriation of ‘alalā, with the following attributes:
• 2,000 and 4,500 ft elevation;
• Tree canopy is dominated by 60-80 ft mature closed canopy ‘ōhi‘a;
• Midcanopy is dominated by a mix of native flowering and fruiting tree species (e.g., ‘ōhi‘a,
hame, kōlea, pilo, Clermontia sp., ‘ōlapa, kāwa‘u, kōlea, pūkiawe), tree ferns (up to 15 ft),
‘ie‘ie, and epiphytes);
• Ground cover is dominated by a mix of native ferns, herbs, and forbs;
•