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Alexander & Baldwin and The Nature Conservancy Partner to Protect Spectacular Wainiha Valley on Kaua‘i

Conservation Agreement Creates State's
Third Largest Private Nature Preserve

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HONOLULU, HAWAI'I — November 20, 2007 — An agreement between Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. and The Nature Conservancy will create the state’s third largest private nature preserve at spectacular Wainiha Valley on Kaua‘i, the two organizations announced today.

Located above Ha‘ena on Kauai’s scenic windward coast, Wainiha Valley includes one of Kauai’s largest river systems, magnificent mountain cliffs, and portions of the famed Alaka‘i wilderness and Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale summit region, one of the wettest spots on Earth.  

The 7,050-acre, A&B-owned parcel – so remote it can only be accessed by helicopter – will now be managed as a Nature Conservancy preserve. It will be the Conservancy’s first major preserve on Kaua‘i and the third largest private preserve in the state.

The agreement between A&B and the Conservancy is for a period of ten years; it is the second such arrangement on Kaua‘i between Alexander & Baldwin and The Nature Conservancy, involving different parcels on opposite sides of the island.  The A&B Foundation has also made a $100,000 grant to the Conservancy for its conservation and outreach programs. 

“Wainiha is a place of incredible natural beauty and a treasure chest of Hawaii’s native plants and animals,” said Suzanne Case, the Conservancy’s Hawai‘i executive director.  “It’s been our highest priority for conservation for many years. Now, thanks to Alexander & Baldwin, we will be able to protect it. We are deeply grateful.”

“A&B has been a dedicated steward of these Kauai lands for well over a century, and over time, our awareness has sharpened about the tremendous biological importance of this Valley, and the imminent threats to the habitat,” said Alexander & Baldwin Chairman and CEO Allen Doane. “Our company has confidence in The Nature Conservancy’s capabilities and we are pleased to partner with them to pursue our common goal of ensuring the protection of this valuable natural resource for generations to come.  We entrust our lands to their expert care.”

Strategically located at the heart of the Kaua‘i watershed, A&B’s Wainiha parcel totals 10,000 acres. The Conservancy’s management agreement covers the upper 7,050 acres, including approximately 5,750 acres of Wainiha Valley and almost 1,300 acres of the Alaka‘i plateau and Wai‘ale‘ale summit region above it. 

“Wainiha is one of the largest valleys on Kaua‘i, extending far into the island's undeveloped heart, the Alaka‘i plateau,” said Sam Gon, senior scientist and cultural advisor for The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i. “Because of its remoteness from human development, the upper region of Wainiha is as close to pristine as any valley system can get in the Hawaiian Islands.”

According to Gon, remarkable examples of healthy native lowland forest, rarely found elsewhere in the islands, can still be found in Wainiha’s twin valleys, along with rare Hawaiian freshwater stream communities. Wainiha is home to 127 species of flowering plants found only in Hawai‘i, 41 of which are found only on Kaua‘i.  In addition, Wainiha contains numerous species of native forest birds, including ‘elepaio, ‘apapane, ‘amakihi and the rare ‘akikiki and akeke‘e. A wet cliff ecosystem that separates the valley from the Alaka‘i plateau provides valuable nesting sites for the endangered Hawaiian seabird ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel).  

Kauai’s greatest biological treasure, however, is the Alaka‘i, a mile-high plateau cradled between the mountains. A wilderness of rare plants and birds, the 12,000-acre plateau sits on the flank of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale and at the head of Kauai’s five largest aquifers. Not only is the area the island’s primary source of water, but its native ecosystems include rare mountain bogs and the islands’ most diverse high-elevation rain forest. Within the 1,300-acre A&B portion of the Alaka‘i there are 131 plant species found only in Hawai‘i, 46 of which are found only on Kaua‘i. 

A&B’s Doane added, “Since 1906, water from upper Wainiha Valley has been used by our Wainiha Hydroelectric Plant to generate clean, renewable energy in amounts sufficient for both our needs and to share with Kaua‘i.  Protecting the native forest that is the source of that water helps ensure an important renewable source of energy for the future,” Doane concluded.

According the Trae Menard, the Conservancy’s Kaua‘i program director, Wainiha’s native ecosystems are in good to very good condition, but are not without threats. “Invasive weeds such as Australian tree fern and clidemia are already moving up the valley, as are the introduced wild pigs,” he said. “Australian tree fern is the biggest threat. And it’s urgent, because right now we have a narrow window of opportunity to try to get in there and control it.”

Native mint previously thought to be extinct in the wild – re-discovered in 2004 in Wainiha Valley. © Ken Wood/National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Speaking on behalf of the A&B Foundation, which he also serves, Doane said, “In recognition of our long association with the Conservancy – as a founding member with continuing Corporate Council and volunteer leadership – we are pleased to provide these funds to help support their important conservation activities.”

The management agreement is the second on Kaua‘i between Alexander & Baldwin and The Nature Conservancy.  In 2003, the Conservancy signed a similar 10-year pact to protect the 80-acre Kanaele Bog in east Kaua‘i – a one-of-a-kind community of native Hawaiian plants that is the only well-preserved low-elevation bog remaining in the state. 

The state’s two largest two private preserves are Maui Land & Pine’s 9,881-acre Pu`u Kukui Preserve and the Conservancy’s 8,061-acre Kona Hema Preserve on the island of Hawai‘i. 

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, is engaged in ocean transportation and intermodal services, through its subsidiaries, Matson Navigation Company, Inc. and Matson Integrated Logistics, Inc.; in real estate, through A&B Properties, Inc.; and in food products, through Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company and Kauai Coffee Company, Inc. Additional information about A&B may be found at its web site: www.alexanderbaldwin.com. The Alexander & Baldwin Foundation is funded by the business activities of Alexander & Baldwin Inc. and its subsidiaries.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. In Hawai‘i,  the Conservancy has directly helped protect 200,000 acres of the state’s best natural lands and established a statewide system of 11 preserves totaling almost 40,000 acres. The Conservancy is also engaged in marine conservation in the nearshore waters of the main Hawaiian Islands. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.