None The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii Press Releases Search All Press Releases Pauline Sato, Oahu Program Director PH: 224-4660

Nânâkuli Fire Threatens Nature Conservancy's Honouliuli Preserve

May 12, 2005 - The Nânâkuli fire is threatening rare and endangered native Hawaiian plants and animals in the Nature Conservancy's Honouliuli Preserve in the Wai‘anae Mountains.

The brush fire, which started in Nânâkuli Valley on Tuesday, has not yet reached the preserve, but could do so today, said Pauline Sato, the Conservancy's O‘ahu Program Manager.

Honouliuli Preserve stretches across 3,582 acres on the southeast slope of the Wai‘anae Mountains from Makakilo to Schofield and contains more than 90 rare Hawaiian plants and animals. Although the preserve is on the central O‘ahu side of the Wai‘anae Mountains, the fire threatens a corner of the preserve above Nânâkuli where the Conservancy's Palikea ridgeline hiking trail is located.

According to Sato, that portion of the preserve is the primary habitat for the endangered Hawaiian tree snail, Achatinella mustelina, which is found only in the Wai‘anae Mountains. The area is also habitat for two native forest birds, the pueo, or Hawaiian owl, and the endangered O‘ahu ‘elepaio, as well as many rare and endangered Hawaiian plants, including Hawaiian violets, manono, several species of hâhâ, and a rare lobelia, pânaunau.

All told, some 60 rare and endangered plants and animals are located along the top of the ridgeline in the Palikea area of the preserve and could be destroyed by the fire. The site has also been an area where the Conservancy has being doing significant forest restoration work, Sato said.

The Conservancy will be working today with fire crews from state, city and county, the army and the federal government to keep the fire from entering the preserve, with the army providing helicopter support.

Last July, a fire on the lower slopes of the preserve near Kunia burned several hundred acres and threatened habitat for the O‘ahu ‘elepaio. According to Sato, the Nânâkuli fire is potentially much more damaging to native wildlife, which is concentrated in the upper elevations of the preserve and along the ridgeline.

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities the represent life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.