Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, March 4, 2021
Lawsuit Demands More 'Critical Habitat' in Hawaii
By News Release @ 3:32 AM :: 1965 Views :: Land Use

Lawsuit Aims to Protect Threatened Iconic Hawaiian Forest Bird

Magnificent ‘I‘iwi Needs Critical Habitat, Recovery Plan

News release from Center for Biological Diversity, March 3, 2021

HONOLULU— The Center for Biological Diversity today sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to designate critical habitat and develop a recovery plan for the threatened ‘i‘iwi, the best known of Hawai‘i’s imperiled honeycreepers.

‘I‘iwi are medium-sized Hawaiian forest birds known for their iconic bright red plumage, black wings and distinctive long, curved bill. Because of the extensive threats of mosquito-borne diseases, rapid ‘ōhi‘a death — an invasive fungal disease that is killing ‘ōhi‘a trees at an alarming rate — and climate change, the Service listed the ‘i‘iwi as threatened on Sept. 20, 2017.

The Endangered Species Act required the agency to designate critical habitat with its listing determination and develop a recovery plan for the bird. Yet the Service has failed to do so.

“The beautiful ‘i‘iwi needs our help and it needs it now,” said Maxx Phillips, the Center’s Hawai‘i director and staff attorney. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s foot-dragging is unacceptable. Without the protections provided by critical habitat and a valid recovery plan, ‘i‘iwi will continue down a heartbreaking path towards extinction.”

The ‘i‘iwi was once one of the most abundant native forest birds across Hawai‘i. Unfortunately, it now persists on only three islands, with the population on Kaua‘i likely to go extinct within 30 years.

Like many native Hawaiian forest birds, ‘i‘iwi have an extremely low resistance to avian malaria, with an average 95% mortality rate. The combination of low resistance and high mortality means that nearly every ‘i‘iwi that comes into contact with avian malaria dies from the disease.

Since mosquitoes can’t live at higher elevations because of cooler temperatures, ‘i‘iwi have survived in higher-elevation forests. But as the impacts of global climate change continue to accelerate, temperatures at higher elevations in Hawai‘i are increasing at an unforeseen rate. This warming allows mosquitoes to expand their range into higher elevations, bringing with them avian malaria and avian pox. Additionally, the virus that causes avian malaria survives better in warmer temperatures, meaning warmer high elevation habitats will no longer be safe refuges from the disease.

“The future looks grim for ‘i‘iwi if we don’t act now,” Phillips said. “These rare birds deserve protected habitat and a valid plan to guide their recovery and prevent them from vanishing forever. In particular, we have to restore forests at higher elevations on the Big Island to give ‘i‘iwi space to move uphill and do whatever we can to control mosquitoes on all the islands.”

Today’s lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Background

Listing the ‘i‘iwi as threatened in 2017 was just the first step in ensuring its survival and recovery. Species without designated critical habitat are half as likely to move toward recovery as species with critical habitat. Without protections for its critical habitat, the ‘i‘iwi will continue to lose what little disease-free forest habitat remains. Additionally, species with timely recovery plans for two or more years are far more likely to improve than those without.

Alongside the devastating impacts of mosquitoes and climate change, rapid ‘ōhi‘a death is further threatening the ‘i‘iwi’s survival. ‘I‘iwi depend on the ‘ōhi‘a for nesting and foraging, surviving primarily on the nectar from lehua blossoms. Though originally limited to the island of Hawai‘i, as of June 2020, rapid ‘ōhi‘a death has spread to Kaua‘i, Maui and O‘ahu. Since there is no effective means of containing the disease, ‘ōhi‘a forest death poses a significant risk to the continued survival of the ‘i‘iwi.

Hawaiian forest birds, one of the most imperiled groups of birds in the world, are in crisis. Some 68% of Hawai‘i’s known endemic bird species have already gone extinct because of habitat loss, disease and invasive predators. Of the remaining 37 surviving endemic species, 33 are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act, although nine of these have not been observed recently and are thought by scientists to be extinct. Introduced mosquitoes and the diseases they carry are primary causes of the loss of all these birds.

---30---

CN:  Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Iridescent Hawaiian Bird From Extinction

Related:
Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT