Army zone excluded from critical habitat

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service yesterday designated 55,040 acres on O'ahu, most of it in the Ko'olau and Wai'anae mountains, as critical habitat for 99 threatened and endangered species — but it specifically excluded nearly 27,000 acres of Army land, which angered environmentalists.

The land was excluded, the service said, because the Army has conservation efforts under way there, so the designation is not needed. But "the service also considered the potential adverse impacts to national security in making its decision," it said.

Earthjustice attorney David Henkin said that only a year ago, the Fish and Wildlife Service found that the Army's conservation efforts were insufficient to protect endangered species on military land.

"This habitat — all on Army installations — is currently occupied by 53 plant species and must be protected for the reintroduction of another 23 species," Henkin said. "To exempt all this habitat is leaving it vulnerable."

If there were a serious national security issue on land protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Secretary of Defense has the ability to override the endangered species concerns, he said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, in a press release yesterday, said it applauds progress the Army has made in its conservation programs.

"The Army is addressing the threats to these species, particularly by controlling alien plants and animals, and is propagating and reintroducing listed species on their lands," said Paul Henson.

The service and Earthjustice disagreed on another issue as well. For the first time, in its announcement of the O'ahu critical habitat, the Fish and Wildlife Service included a statement that such designation actually "provides little additional protection to most listed species" and actually hurts conservation by diverting service resources away from active conservation work.

"In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat," the service said.

Earthjustice's Henkin said Congress knew what it was doing when it passed the Endangered Species Act. "Contrary to the service's claims, protecting recovery habitat through critical habitat designation is essential to achieving the Endangered Species Act's goals," he said.

The O'ahu critical habitat includes 36 units, 41 percent owned by state or local government, 49 percent by private landowners and 10 percent by the federal government. Navy land at Lualualei and the O'ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge are included within the federal land.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.