Southeast Alakai Conservation

The purpose of this project to remove ungulates and invasive weeds from 1,358 acres of prime habitat for three critically endangered forest birds, Akikiki, Puaiohi and Akekee at Halehaha on lands owned by the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. This project is part of a larger project to enclose and protect 3,300 acres of native-dominated montane wet forest within the Alakai Wilderness Preserve. The requested funding will enable TNC to gather baseline data and scout for hotspots for ungulates and weeds using helicopter and ground-based surveys while the fence is being constructed. After baseline data is collected for the ungulates, traps will be installed in the high activity areas. Numerous threatened and endangered species including species which are have been determined to be at high risk of imminent extinction (HRIE) by the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office will benefit from the project.TNC Kauai Program is coordinating the implementation of the Kauai Watershed Alliance Management Plan, to protect the 144,004 acres of forested watershed in Kauai's rugged interior.