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

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
• No dogs and cats.
Strategies to achieve objective:
Build and maintain ungulate-proof fence.
Use mowing to maintain fuel breaks and fence corridors in short grass (< 6 inches).
Use mowing except during peak nesting (October-April).
Use IPM techniques including physical/mechanical, biological, and chemical to eradicate or control
invasive plants (see Appendix G).
Conduct surveys for pest animals such as nonnative mammalian predators and cats and dogs.
Control pest animals using appropriate IPM techniques including, but not limited to, trapping,
snares, shooting, and rodenticide (aerial and bait stations).
Rationale:
Fuel breaks have been constructed and will be maintained creating short grass habitat that is
incidentally used by nēnē. Nēnē graze the grasses of the fuel breaks, helping to maintain them.
In addition, the 15-acre administrative site (located near Hakalau Cabin) is kept mowed and
provides incidental nēnē habitat for foraging.
Annually mowing 50 acres of fuel breaks and 15 acres around the administrative site would
maintain the Refuge’s focus on maximizing forest bird habitat by reforesting and restoring the
maximum amount of nonnative, high-elevation grasslands.
Objective 5.2: Maintain grassland habitats for nēnē nesting.
Maintain approximately 15 acres of managed grassland habitat for nēnē nesting with the following
attributes:
• Composed of primarily native grasses with limited nonnative grasses and scattered native
shrubs and trees;
• Reduced nest predators to levels that do not impact breeding success during nesting season;
and
• No ungulates.
Strategies to achieve objective:
Maintain ungulate-proof fence.
Establish a predator-proof fence on15-acre grassland breeding site away from administrative sites
on the Pua ‘Ākala Tract.
Remove all ungulates, nonnative mammalian predators, and dogs and cats using IPM techniques
such as trapping, snares, shooting (ground and aerial), and rodenticide (aerial and bait stations).
Use IPM techniques including physical/mechanical, biological, and chemical to eradicate or control
invasive plants (see Appendix G).
Conduct surveys for pest animals such as ungulates, nonnative mammalian predators, and cats and
dogs.
Control pest animals using appropriate IPM techniques including, but not limited to, trapping,
snares, shooting (ground and aerial), and rodenticide (aerial and bait stations).
Chapter 2. Refuge Management Direction 2-31