Recovery Act Funding to Protect Native Plants on Molokai, Maui and Lehua

September 29, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye announced today three coastal programs designed to save native plants from invasive species in Hawaii will receive $220,000 from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects will allow three private organizations to restore native habitats on coastal lands within the State.

"Our native species need protection to survive," Senator Akaka said. "This Recovery Act funding will allow neighbor island conservation organizations to do more to fend off invasive species and protect native plants and birds, while creating job opportunities on each island."

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"Protecting our wildlife, wet lands, and coastal regions from invasive species, harmful human impact and predators is critical to preserving the environment for residents and visitors," said Senator Inouye. "The preservation of native habitats is an important mission the federal government can help fund in Hawaii."

MOLOKA‘I

Funding will be provided to the Moloka‘i Land Trust to restore 20 acres of coastal plant habitat on the island's north shore at Anapuka in the Mokio parcel. Workers will be hired to remove invasive kiawe in coastal dunes between ‘Ilio Point and Mo‘omomi. North Molokai has some of the best remaining native coastal habitat in the State and removal of invasive kiawe will allow native plant communities to expand back into these areas. This technique has been used successfully at The Nature Conservancy's Mo‘omomi Preserve to increase native plant cover.

MAUI

Funding will be provided to the Maui Coastal Land Trust to replace an old fence around six-acre Nu‘u Wetland on the south coast. This area is used as nesting habitat by endangered Hawaiian stilts and coots and is still dominated by native wetland plants. Nene and koloa also use the area. The project will include fence construction and outplanting of native wetland plants. Excluding ungulates and controlling predators will increase survival of nesting endangered waterbirds and increase use of the area as a feeding and resting area by many other native birds.

KAUA‘I AND LEHUA

Funding will be provided to Garden Island Resource Conservation and Development to produce large numbers of weed-free seeds of native coastal plants for use in revegetating Lehua Island. This project will hire workers to grow native plants on west Kaua‘i whose seeds will be used to restore 285 acres of coastal habitat on Lehua, which is off the coast of Ni‘ihau.

"With these investments of Recovery Act funds, we are putting people to work today to make improvements that will help the coastal habitat and benefit the regions for many years to come," U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. "We are making a bold investment in 21st century jobs and 21st century technologies on our public lands to meet our energy needs, rebuild our economy, and protect our environment for future generations."

Source: Senator Daniel K. Akaka