Kīlauea Lighthouse / Credit Brenda Zaun, USFWS

How to Contact Us

For information or to be included on our mailing list contact:

Shannon Smith, Project Leader

Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 1128

Kīlauea, Hawai‘i 96754

Phone: 808/828-1413

Fax: 808/828-6634

E-Mail:

FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov

Please include “Kauai NWRC CCP” in the subject.

Find Us On the Web:

http://www.fws.gov/hanalei

http://www.fws.gov/huleia

http://www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint

Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 1128

Kīlauea, Hawai‘i 96754

4
2 

Thank You for Participating

We learned a lot from your comments!

Most of the comments we received during the public 

scoping period expressed support for the KNWRC, 

with an interest in addressing the following issues. 

Hulē‘ia Talk Story Session

Participants recommended that the CCP include 

Hulē‘ia valley’s history including land ownership 

(Monarchy to present) and identify the kuleana 

land located within the refuge boundary. Requests 

were made to include the cultural significance of 

taro farming to the Hulē‘ia valley and for the refuge 

to reconsider using taro farming as a tool to help 

achieve the goal of recovering endangered Hawaiian 

waterbird populations. 

Participants of this 3rd talk story session also 

expressed that a strong emphasis be placed on 

improving water quantity and quality for Hulē‘ia 

NWR including the importance of ample clean water 

for fishing and swimming. The public suggested that 

the refuge take the lead in formation of a community 

partnership to assist in watershed restoration 

planning for Hulē‘ia river and associated streams that 

affect the refuge. 

The meeting participants would like our plan to 

include goals for additional wetland restoration and 

for removal of invasive species in riparian (especially 

red mangrove) and lowland forest habitats. The 

public stated that increased staffing is needed to work 

towards recovery of Hawai‘i’s endangered waterbirds 

at Hulē‘ia NWR. Public interest was also expressed 

regarding the potential expansion of Hulē‘ia NWR to 

include the adjacent Alekoko fish pond.

CCP Public Scoping Meetings

Public comments were recorded, compiled, and 

summarized into the following four general topics 

which are applicable across the three refuges. 

These topics are: priorities, partnerships, visitor 

opportunities, and refuge expansion. 

Priorities which the CCP should reevaluate:

•	 Elevate endangered species recovery (especially 

for the koloa maoli) as a higher priority within 

the refuge complex – this includes addressing the 

imbalance of staff and funding for wetland habitat 

management and enhancement.

•	 Focus additional effort on water security and 

quality for the wetland refuges, especially in 

regards to taro farming on the refuge but also 

including aquatic habitat protection.

•	 Continue to provide a quality visitor experience 

focused at KPNWR with smaller scale 

opportunities enhanced at Hanalei and Hulē‘ia 

NWRs.

•	 Capture the history of land ownership and the 

cultural significance of taro farming, including 

kuleana lands, on refuge-owned lands.

Partnerships 

•	 Enhance community partnerships at all three 

refuges especially in the areas of: transportation 

planning for KPNWR, environmental outreach to 

local high schools and the college, aquatic habitat 

preservation for Hanalei NWR, and watershed 

restoration planning for Hulē‘ia NWR.

•	 Specifically focus on improving the refuge’s 

coordination/partnership with the refuge taro 

farmers of Hanalei valley. The CCP should 

clearly articulate the past and current role of taro 

farming at Hanalei NWR, from both a cultural and 

biological perspective.

•	 Establish Friends organizations to help support 

Hulē‘ia and Hanalei NWRs.

Visitor Opportunities

•	 Enhance existing programs across the three 

refuges to include: increased hiking opportunities 

(especially on Crater Hill), additional 

environmental programs for youth (e.g., volunteer 

habitat restoration at Hulē‘ia NWR and an outdoor 

classroom program at Hanalei NWR), incorporate 

additional Hawaiian culture into refuge 

interpretation programs, construct bird blinds and 

interpretive panels at Hanalei and Hulē‘ia NWRs, 

and increase environmental interpretation at 

Kīlauea Point and Hanalei NWRs overlooks.

•	 Implement incremental small-scale improvements 

to improve traffic congestion and visitor safety at 

KPNWR; including such changes as developing 

pedestrian and bicycle access, improving visitor 

signage, modifying fee structure and using 

advance appointments to spread out congestion 

during the most heavily visited time periods, 

and making relatively small infrastructure 

improvements to KPNWR.
2 

Thank You for Participating

We learned a lot from your comments!

Most of the comments we received during the public 

scoping period expressed support for the KNWRC, 

with an interest in addressing the following issues. 

Hulē‘ia Talk Story Session

Participants recommended that the CCP include 

Hulē‘ia valley’s history including land ownership 

(Monarchy to present) and identify the kuleana 

land located within the refuge boundary. Requests 

were made to include the cultural significance of 

taro farming to the Hulē‘ia valley and for the refuge 

to reconsider using taro farming as a tool to help 

achieve the goal of recovering endangered Hawaiian 

waterbird populations. 

Participants of this 3rd talk story session also 

expressed that a strong emphasis be placed on 

improving water quantity and quality for Hulē‘ia 

NWR including the importance of ample clean water 

for fishing and swimming. The public suggested that 

the refuge take the lead in formation of a community 

partnership to assist in watershed restoration 

planning for Hulē‘ia river and associated streams that 

affect the refuge. 

The meeting participants would like our plan to 

include goals for additional wetland restoration and 

for removal of invasive species in riparian (especially 

red mangrove) and lowland forest habitats. The 

public stated that increased staffing is needed to work 

towards recovery of Hawai‘i’s endangered waterbirds 

at Hulē‘ia NWR. Public interest was also expressed 

regarding the potential expansion of Hulē‘ia NWR to 

include the adjacent Alekoko fish pond.

CCP Public Scoping Meetings

Public comments were recorded, compiled, and 

summarized into the following four general topics 

which are applicable across the three refuges. 

These topics are: priorities, partnerships, visitor 

opportunities, and refuge expansion. 

Priorities which the CCP should reevaluate:

•	 Elevate endangered species recovery (especially 

for the koloa maoli) as a higher priority within 

the refuge complex – this includes addressing the 

imbalance of staff and funding for wetland habitat 

management and enhancement.

•	 Focus additional effort on water security and 

quality for the wetland refuges, especially in 

regards to taro farming on the refuge but also 

including aquatic habitat protection.

•	 Continue to provide a quality visitor experience 

focused at KPNWR with smaller scale 

opportunities enhanced at Hanalei and Hulē‘ia 

NWRs.

•	 Capture the history of land ownership and the 

cultural significance of taro farming, including 

kuleana lands, on refuge-owned lands.

Partnerships 

•	 Enhance community partnerships at all three 

refuges especially in the areas of: transportation 

planning for KPNWR, environmental outreach to 

local high schools and the college, aquatic habitat 

preservation for Hanalei NWR, and watershed 

restoration planning for Hulē‘ia NWR.

•	 Specifically focus on improving the refuge’s 

coordination/partnership with the refuge taro 

farmers of Hanalei valley. The CCP should 

clearly articulate the past and current role of taro 

farming at Hanalei NWR, from both a cultural and 

biological perspective.

•	 Establish Friends organizations to help support 

Hulē‘ia and Hanalei NWRs.

Visitor Opportunities

•	 Enhance existing programs across the three 

refuges to include: increased hiking opportunities 

(especially on Crater Hill), additional 

environmental programs for youth (e.g., volunteer 

habitat restoration at Hulē‘ia NWR and an outdoor 

classroom program at Hanalei NWR), incorporate 

additional Hawaiian culture into refuge 

interpretation programs, construct bird blinds and 

interpretive panels at Hanalei and Hulē‘ia NWRs, 

and increase environmental interpretation at 

Kīlauea Point and Hanalei NWRs overlooks.

•	 Implement incremental small-scale improvements 

to improve traffic congestion and visitor safety at 

KPNWR; including such changes as developing 

pedestrian and bicycle access, improving visitor 

signage, modifying fee structure and using 

advance appointments to spread out congestion 

during the most heavily visited time periods, 

and making relatively small infrastructure 

improvements to KPNWR.
Kīlauea Lighthouse / Credit Brenda Zaun, USFWS

How to Contact Us

For information or to be included on our mailing list contact:

Shannon Smith, Project Leader

Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 1128

Kīlauea, Hawai‘i 96754

Phone: 808/828-1413

Fax: 808/828-6634

E-Mail:

FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov

Please include “Kauai NWRC CCP” in the subject.

Find Us On the Web:

http://www.fws.gov/hanalei

http://www.fws.gov/huleia

http://www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint

Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 1128

Kīlauea, Hawai‘i 96754

4