By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
LIHU‘E, Kaua‘i — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded there would be only modest economic impacts from its proposed establishment of more than 60,000 acres of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau land as critical habitat for endangered plants.
In an economic analysis on the proposed establishment of critical habitat, the agency concluded the 23 separate sites would suffer "few, if any, modifications to planned projects, land uses and activities."
Critical habitat is an area considered necessary to the recovery of an endangered species.
Most of the proposed Kaua‘i acreage is on government land already in forest, park or natural area designation, but owners of the island of Ni‘ihau have complained that designation for several hundred acres there could affect the income of Ni‘ihau Ranch and of residents.
Most of the opposition on Kaua‘i has come from hunters, who fear the designation would result in the fencing of critical habitat areas and a hunting ban.
The Fish and Wildlife Service will accept public comments on the proposed designations through April 6.
Copies are available on the Web or by calling 541-3441 on O‘ahu. Comments can be sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850.
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