The Hilo Bay Watershed Advisory Group’s General meeting on September 11th, 2008, at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, featured speakers from three different watershed partnership groups doing work on Hawaii Island.  These groups were the Three Mountain Alliance (TMA), ‘Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 

Tanya Rubenstein spoke about TMA, which oversees watershed partnerships in the Kilauea, Hualalai, and Mauna Loa area, as well as some nearby areas.  They also work with Mauna Kea Partnerships to a certain extent and would like to work with the Hilo Bay Watershed Advisory Group.  This expansive group started as the Olaa Watershed Partnerships and then expanded its area of management starting in 2003.   TMA became an official partnership just recently and has the management priorities of fencing in these areas, controlling feral animals, controlling alien plants, preventing fires, and restoring native plants.  These fencing efforts have enabled TMA to free 34,000 acres of wild pigs, which includes all of Keauhoa Ranch, some of Hawaii National Park, and other areas nearby.  This reduction of pigs is also done through their pig trapping and release program, which traps pigs and then releases them into frequent hunting areas.  Sometimes resident pig hunters get involved in this program.  Alien flora is being controlled via the spraying of poisons. 

Keauhoa Ranch is a former ranch owned by Kamehameha schools and restored by TMA to much of its former forest size.  This area had been used before for logging and ranching.  TMA would like this area to eventually support wild bird populations.  Kamehameha schools have the goal to use this space for growing Koa trees and putting on educational, and cultural programs.  Other areas that TMA restores include beaches, upland forests, and dry forests.
The watershed work of TMA is achieved through the efforts of many different volunteer organizations.  One such organization was that of Kulani Correctional Facility, who had its inmates do restoration work.  Rubenstein would like to think that this work helps them in their rehabilitation and development of job skills.  Regardless of its effect on the inmates, TMA greatly appreciates the efforts put out by this and other groups.

Mililani Browning discussed the programs put on by ‘Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina.  This organization creates educational programs, especially for high school and grade school groups.  During the school year, school groups, like Kamemeha schools, come to their worksites to learn about nature and help with restoration work.  In order to accommodate more age groups, they often have older kids help the younger kids.  Other educational programs, ‘Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina, has hosted included the Summer Enrichment Program and the Teacher Education Program.  The Summer Enrichment Program is put on with the goal of helping children experience and learn about the outdoors, particularly that of the native forests of Hawaii.  This program is enacted at the Keauhoa Ranch each year and they involve the kids in fun activities, along with educational activities.  The Teacher Education Program educates high school teachers on weekends how to do water quality assessments of marine and freshwater ecosystems.  “Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina puts on this program to get teachers involved in doing data collecting and long term water quality experiments with their students.  They also have the goal with this program to promote community awareness.  Activities in the past have included presentations on archaeology and hawksbill turtles.  Lastly, this program just partnered this year with Programs for Reform in Math and Science.

Donna Ball discussed the voluntary partnerships with other organizations and restoration work that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is involved in.  They choose to form these relationships, since most land in the Hawaiian Islands is owned privately. One such program is the National Coastal Wetlands Grants, which works with local landowners.  The restoration objectives of USFWS are to control the spread of non-native animals and plants and protection of native forests.  They have been working toward these goals by protecting watersheds, fencing, creating forests and watershed recharge areas, and reforestation work. 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife has currently incorporated these goals into various restoration projects.  They successfully used fencing in their Kauwi Restoration project.  Another project was the Hakalau Wildlife Refuge, in which they worked on elevation restoration in order to stop erosion and encourage plant growth.  Other goals of the project were invasive wildlife and plant control and fire prevention.  USFWS is collaborating with Hawaiian Homelands with koa reforestation and the USDA.  Part of the reason for the collaboration with Hawaiian Homelands is that they own the property above the Hakalau Wildlife Refuge, so they want to work together in order stop the spread of invasive species between the properties and to create more beneficial habitat for native species.  Recently, Steve Hess worked on a study in the Hakalau Wildlife Refuge, in which he and others analyzed the extent of deforestation and erosion, and how pigs affected the water quality of the area.  This study revealed that there is on average 22 pigs an acre, in an unmanaged and unfenced area.  USFWS would also like to make collaborations to encourage education, outreach, and greater water quality.  Finally, they would like to make data available on their website or via other sources, once their scoping data is made into a final draft.

The public can contact Three Mountain Alliance, ‘Imi Pono no ka ‘Aina, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and or their representatives; in the following ways;
Three Mountain Alliance’s website: http://www.hawp.org
Tanya Rubenstein by phone – 808-985-6196
Or by email at Tanya_Rubenstein@contractor.nps.gov
Mililani Browning by phone – 808-985-6196
Or by email at Mililani_Browning@contractor.nps.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/
Donna Ball by phone – 808-985-6196
Or by email at Donna_L_Ball@fws.gov