Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 1987 — State's Program Sorely Lacking [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

State's Program Sorely Lacking

Urgency of Saving Native Plants TopsSymposium

By Earl (Buddy) Neller Cultural Specialist An Oct. 19 symposium at the Honolulu Academy of Arts dealing with the vital subject of "Saving Hawaii's Native Plants — Now or Never" attracted a good segment of concemed and interested persons and representatives of government agencies responsible for the protection of the natural environment.

The Academy courtyard was lined with numerous species of native Hawaiian plants on loan from various gardens, including some rare plants now found only in a few isolated places in the wild and in gardens. Color photographs of Hawaiian plants covered the walls. They were arranged by plant communities to show their plaee in the Hawaiian ecosystem. Talks on the Hawaiian ecosystems, their significance and why preservation measures are necessary took up the morning session. The talks were illustrated with color transparencies of rare plants and animals and examples of how they were threatened.

The afternoon session focused on programs established to preserve and maintain ecosystems with emphasis on saving entire ecosystems rather than isolated, single plant or animal species. Among those charged with preservation and maintenance are the Nahonal Park Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy, State Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the State's Natural Area Reserves System. The State of Hawaii's program eame under fire. It was felt there was no Department of Land and Natural Resources commitment to the program; no funding; no mechanism for establishing "critical habitat"; and a weak program for consultation with the public. The State's list of endangered species shows only 19 plants, the same total nominated by the federal government for the federal endangered species program.

The State endangered species act makes it unlawful to keep, sell or use native plants after they have been placed on the officiaI list except by permit issued by DLNR for scientific purposes only. Only 19 plants now have the endangered species status and protection and these are extremely rare plants whieh most people never see. An example is the 'akoko from the Ewa plains whieh is already extinct in most of the Barber's Point Harbor area. There is a way for interested persons to nominate native plants to the endangered species list and that is to contact the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Also stressed was the necessary role of gardens as a means of maintaining living collections of rare plants rather than herbarium specimens. Other important roles of gardens are to: • Carry out plant research under controlled conditions. • Provide educational opportunities for learning about native plants.

• Public reports about native plants. Funding levels for protection of the natural environment were reported as follows: National Park Service, $421,500; Nature Conservancy, $300,000; Natural Area Reserves (two-year budget), $437,000; U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $500,000; State Forestry and Wildlife, zero. While the symposium brought preservation interests together to take stock of the current situation, it was felt

that the participants left at day's end with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency and with a spark of hope for the future.

Ihe symposium was sponsored jointly by Bishop Museum, Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu Botanic Gardens, Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Garden Club of Honolulu, Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and Waimea Arboretum.

Achyranthes Rotundata is on the State of Hawaii's list of endangered plant species. It is found in the Barber"s Point Harbor area but is almost extinct.