U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Kīlauea Point 

National Wildlife Refuge

Planning Update Number 4, June 2016

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan is Available

View of Kı ̄lauea Point from Mo ̄ko ̄lea Point

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service) is pleased to announce the 

completion of the Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan (CCP) for Kı ̄lauea 

Point National Wildlife Refuge 

(Refuge). We sincerely thank all the 

individuals and organizations who 

participated in our planning process 

and contributed valuable input. Your 

help was vital to developing our CCP.

Since our last planning update in 

February 2015, which announced the 

availability of the draft CCP/

Environmental Assessment (EA) 

for public comment, we have 

considered and integrated the public 

comments into the final CCP. We 

selected a modified version of 

Alternative D, the preferred 

alternative, to be implemented on 

the Refuge, as funding allows. The 

decision was documented in a 

Finding of No Significant Impact.

To view the CCP, please visit:

www.fws.gov/refuge/Kilauea_Point/

what_we_do/planning.html. A limited 

number of printed copies and CDs 

can be requested from the Kaua‘i 

National Wildlife Refuge Complex 

office (see page 4). 

What Happens Next?

The CCP will serve as a guide 

for managing wildlife 

conservation and 

visitor services 

programs on 

the Refuge for 

the next 15 

years or until 

it is revised. 

As funding becomes available, 

projects will be implemented as 

identified in the CCP, such as 

enhancing coastal ecosystems, 

restoring seabird breeding 

populations, conducting research, 

and improving visitor services and 

environmental education. 

In addition to federal funds, we will 

rely on grants and partnerships to 

help implement the CCP. 

In this update

Public Comments

Summary of Management Direction

How to Get a Copy of the CCP

©Greg Stutzer Brenda Zaun/USFWS

Endangered ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel)
2

We released the draft CCP/EA for 

public review and comment from 

February 12, 2015, to March 27, 2015. 

We received comments from over 70 

entities covering a variety of topics, 

including visitor facilities and 

transportation at the Refuge, public 

uses at Crater Hill and Ka ̄hili 

Quarry, protections for seabirds and 

endangered ne ̄ne ̄, ecological 

restoration, wildlife disturbance, 

and control of introduced predators. 

Public Comments

further developed. Guided interpretive 

hikes will be offered on Crater Hill led 

by Refuge staff or trained volunteers. 

The Refuge will integrate cultural 

and historic resources into outreach, 

interpretation, and planning, including 

specific focus on the Kı ̄lauea Point 

Light Station and Ka ̄hili Quarry. We 

will develop orientation and training 

materials to better educate volunteers, 

partners, and tour operators on 

interpretive messages. We will provide 

bicycle parking at the Overlook and 

improve visitor circulation.

Uses at Ka ̄hili Quarry. At Ka ̄hili 

Quarry, we will work with local 

nonprofit groups and community 

leaders of Kı ̄lauea on promoting 

stewardship of the Quarry that will 

include habitat protection, monitoring 

and managing threats to natural 

and cultural resources, outreach, and 

developing interpretive signage and 

messaging. Public use and access 

through the Quarry to Kı ̄lauea River, 

Kı ̄lauea Bay, and Ka ̄hili Beach will 

be allowed 24 hours a day. 

The Refuge will continue to work with 

the Kı ̄lauea community to maintain 

a passable road to the beach and 

shoreline. The road will be repaired 

to a standard approved by both the 

Summary of Management Direction

Wildlife and Habitat Management. 

Management programs aimed at 

long-term protection and enhancement 

of migratory seabird populations and 

their habitats will be expanded to 

larger areas on Crater Hill and 

Mo ̄ko ̄lea Point. We will work to 

minimize the threats of introduced 

(or nonnative) predators and flight 

obstacles to seabirds. We will use 

social attraction techniques to 

enhance the threatened ‘a‘o (Newell's 

shearwater) and other seabird 

populations and work with partners to 

explore the feasibility of translocation 

to support ‘a‘o populations. We will 

maintain and possibly expand the 

predator-proof fenced areas. 

In addition, the Refuge will protect 

and enhance habitat for the 

endangered ne ̄ne ̄ population and 

restore native plant communities to 

provide recovery habitat for threatened 

and endangered coastal plants.

Management activities, including weed 

control and outplanting native plants, 

mowing and weeding grasslandshrubland habitat for ne ̄ne ̄, and 

controlling introduced predators, will 

continue. Priority research, inventories, 

monitoring, and other scientific 

assessments will be expanded.

Public Use. The majority of public 

use activities offered at the Refuge will 

continue to revolve around wildlife 

observation and photography, 

environmental education, and 

interpretation located on Kı ̄lauea

Point proper (Point) or at the Kı ̄lauea

Road terminus (the Overlook). 

Opportunities, materials, and facilities 

for environmental education will be 

‘Ilima

David Eickhoff/flickr

Naupaka kahakai

Rosa Say/flickr

©Amanda Gladics

Mo ̄lı ̄ (Laysan albatross)

A summary of all substantive comments 

received and our responses to them is 

provided in Appendix K in the CCP. 
3

Refuge welcome and orientation center 

with a partnering conservation 

organization within 1 mile of the 

Refuge boundary. 

Associated actions may include the 

development of a transit hub and 

mandatory shuttle system. The success 

of short- to medium-term strategies 

may preclude implementation of the 

described medium- to long-term 

strategies. Development of a 

mandatory shuttle system may or may 

not be associated with the relocation of 

non–site-dependent functions to an 

offsite location.

New Maintenance Facilities. The 

Service will seek to develop a new 

maintenance baseyard (storage sheds, 

bays, pole barns, nursery) offsite. 

Options will include leasing, 

purchasing, or co-locating with another 

entity. The new maintenance facilities 

will need to be in close proximity to the 

Refuge but do not necessarily need to 

be coupled with a new welcome and 

orientation center. 

The Refuge is committed to preparing 

a Master Site Plan as a step-down plan 

to the CCP, which will further evaluate 

and detail proposed building use and 

remodeling/maintenance needs.

Traditional Cultural Practices. 

Requests for access to closed areas for 

non-consumptive traditional cultural 

practices (e.g., oli and hula) have been 

infrequent in the past and therefore 

will be administered on a case-by-case 

basis and require a special use permit 

(SUP) unless accompanied by Refuge 

personnel. The practice of nonconsumptive traditional cultural 

activities in open areas (e.g., Ka ̄hili 

Quarry) will not require a permit.

Unless accompanied by Refuge 

personnel, participants of consumptive 

traditional cultural practices will need 

to apply for and be issued an annual 

SUP. Access to Kı ̄lauea (East) Cove 

for fishing or shellfish gathering will 

be restricted to those who have 

genealogical ties to the local community 

(i.e., specific ahupua‘a). The collection 

and use of materials from native plants 

or canoe plants, feathers, and possibly 

other natural resources for traditional 

subsistence, ceremonial, decorative, 

medicinal, or other purposes will not be 

restricted to specific ahupua‘a.

Endangered Ne ̄ne ̄ Management. 

We will evaluate the feasibility of 

redesigning the Overlook area to 

provide a corridor for ne ̄ne ̄ transiting 

between the Point and Crater Hill. 

We will work with the state, county, 

and others on sign design and 

placement, as well as explore the use of 

speed-calming or -reducing devices to 

lessen vehicle strike hazards on 

Kı ̄lauea Road.

Kumu Kehaulani Kekua and Halau Palaihiwa O Ka‘ipuwai offering a blessing at the

Daniel K. Inouye Kı ̄lauea Point Lighthouse dedication

©Dennis Velte

Refuge and the County of Kaua‘i. 

Bollards will be installed at the 

northeast end of the Quarry to protect 

seabird nesting areas. 

Visitors may erect temporary shelters 

during daylight hours only. Dogs will be 

required to be on-leash using an 8-foot 

-maximum leash, under control at all 

times, and will not be allowed to run 

free. Visitors will be allowed to bring 

and use portable stoves or selfcontained barbeques (e.g., off-theground portable enclosed fires), or use 

fires within a Refuge-designated fire 

ring or pit. Visitors will need to bring 

charcoal or firewood. Fires must be 

attended at all times. We will work 

with the community stewardship 

partnership to explore opportunities 

for an overnight site host program and 

camping.

Transportation and New Visitor 

Services Facilities. To address 

transportation issues at the Point 

and the Overlook, the Service will 

implement, in a phased manner, short-, 

medium-, and long-term strategies. 

In the short- to medium-term, the 

Refuge will adopt an incremental 

approach and experiment with smallscale operational and infrastructure 

improvements. A parking reservation 

system, options for offsite parking 

and a shuttle system, and allowing 

pedestrian and/or bicycle access from 

the Overlook into the Point are among 

the strategies that will be examined as 

part of the post-CCP transportation 

studies.

Strategies which will require a large 

capital investment and extensive 

planning process are considered 

medium- to long-term. These 

strategies, to relocate welcome and 

orientation and non–site-dependent 

functions (e.g., bookstore, 

administrative functions, fee collection, 

and parking) off the Point, include 

options to construct a new visitor 

welcome and orientation center, modify 

an existing facility, or co-locate the 
4

Kı ̄lauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 1128

Kı ̄lauea, HI 96754

How to Get a Copy of the CCP

Review or download from:

www.fws.gov/refuge/Kilauea_Point/what_we_do/planning.htm

Get a printed or CD copy by contacting:

Heather Tonneson, Project Leader

Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 1128

Kı ̄lauea, HI 96754

808/828-1413

808/828-6381 fax

FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov

Printed copies of the CCP are available at the following libraries:

Princeville Public Library, 4343 Emmalani Dr., Princeville, HI 96722 

Lı ̄hu‘e Public Library, 4344 Hardy St., Lı ̄hu‘e, HI 96766

Kapa‘a Public Library, 4-1464 K ̄uhio ̄ Hwy., Kapa‘a, HI 96746

Koloa Public Library, 3451 Po‘ip ̄u Rd., Koloa, HI 96756

Hanape ̄pe ̄ Public Library, 4490 Kona Rd., Hanape ̄pe ̄, HI 96716

Waimea Public Library, 9750 Kaumuali‘i Hwy., Waimea, HI 96796

Koa‘e ‘ula (red-tailed tropicbird)

©Amanda Gladics