Hawaii National Park, Hawai'i - The National Park Service (NPS) has released a Final Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (plan/EIS) for Protecting and Restoring Native Ecosystems by Managing Non-Native Ungulates in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
The plan provides a park-wide framework to systematically guide non-native ungulate management activities in a manner that supports long-term ecosystem protection, supports natural ecosystem recovery and provides desirable conditions for active ecosystem restoration. It also supports protection and preservation of cultural resources.
The NPS's preferred alternative includes a progression of management phases, monitoring, and considerations for the use of management tools; a population objective of zero non-native ungulates, or as low as practicable, in managed areas; complete boundary fencing for Kahuku and 'Ōla'a rainforest; and potential use of localized internal fencing to assist in the control of non-native ungulates. Control techniques would be primarily lethal, but non-lethal techniques could also be considered. Volunteer programs would continue, but modifications would be required for lethal removal programs to meet current NPS practices.
The plan/EIS is available online: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_feis. After a required 30-day waiting period following release of the plan/EIS, the NPS will finalize its choice of alternative in a record of decision.
-NPS-
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
