Report favors critical habitat on Moloka'i
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
Designating critical habitat for 46 threatened and endangered plant species on Moloka'i would cause only "modest'' economic impact, according to a draft report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The draft economic analysis and the proposed Moloka'i designation rule are available at pacificislands. fws.gov. Copies may also be obtained by calling the Fish and Wildlife Service's Honolulu office at 541-3441. Comments may be submitted until Sept. 11 to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850, or by e-mail to Molokai_Crithab@r1.fws.gov.
The public comment period on the proposed designations has been reopened, and a meeting about the proposal and the economic analysis has been scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Mitchell Pauole Center in Kaunakakai. A formal public hearing will be in September.
Information on Moloka'i plan
Much of the designated land is unsuitable for development and is within the state's Conservation District, where economic activities are limited, according to the report.
Over a 10-year period, the costs associated with critical habitat designation are estimated to range from less than $148,000 to $853,000. In the worst case, that represents about .03 percent of the total personal income generated in Maui County in 1999, according to the report.
These costs would be incurred only if projects or activities have some federal connection, such as federal funding or the issuance of a federal permit. In those cases, the costs would be borne by the federal agency taking the action.
Examples of such projects include activities by the National Park Service within designated areas of Kalaupapa National Park and projects paid for by the federal government within the East Moloka'i Watershed Partnership.
The proposed critical habitat encompasses 43,516 acres, or about 26 percent of Moloka'i. Almost half of that acreage is state land. Sixty-six percent of the total is within the state Conservation District, 25 percent is within State Forest Reserves and 7 percent is within Natural Area Reserves.
Critical habitat refers to areas essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special management considerations. These areas do not have to be occupied by the species at the time of designation.
