Ranchers Advance Recovery of Rare Hawaiian Bird

Posted: 31-Aug-2004; Updated: 13-Sep-2006

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Considered the world's eighth most endangered waterfowl in 1994, nene declined because of predation by non-native mammals and habitat loss. However, the birds are compatible with cattle ranching operations and are now thriving on ranch grasslands where they have been reintroduced. (Jack Jeffrey Photography)

Hawaii is often pictured as a land of surf and palm trees, yet cattle ranching has been part of its culture for more than 200 years, with more than one million acres being ranched. Recently, several Hawaii ranchers have led recovery efforts for the state bird, the nene or Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis).  "I'm a fifth generation rancher," says Peter Baldwin, owner of Piiholo Ranch on Maui, "and it makes me proud that we can make our ranch a home for the nene." Peter and Kathy Baldwin volunteered to enroll their land in a Safe Harbor Agreement and expect birds to be released there later this summer.

Safe Harbor Agreements and other incentive programs are encouraging private landowners to help the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources recover the federally and state endangered nene. Such tools are especially important in a state like Hawaii, where private landowners manage more than 60% of the land and 357 species are federally listed as threatened or endangered.

On the island of Molokai, Puu O Hoku Ranch signed Hawaii's first Safe Harbor Agreement in 2001. Since then, more than 60 captive-bred nene have been released on the island, where the bird vanished from the wild before Captain James Cook landed in Hawaii in 1778. Puu O Hoku Ranch has assisted state and federal conservation agencies in building and maintaining a release area for the nene. The young birds form pair bonds and nest within their enclosure, which protects them from predators such as mongoose and feral cats and dogs until the nene molt and can fly to surrounding ranchland. Nene thrive in short grasses, and the ranch's grazing regimen helps maintain over 600 acres in grassland habitat where the nene can forage. 

On Piiholo Ranch, the Baldwin family is helping two unique Hawaiian traditions survive: The "paniolo," or cowboy, lifestyle and the endangered nene, which forages in grassland habitat. (Greg Hoxsie, courtesy Piiholo Ranch)

As the successful Molokai reintroduction effort continues, scientists expect the nene to explore suitable habitat on adjacent ranches. The goal is to establish a population of 200 adult birds on the island. In anticipation of the expanding nene numbers, the state agency has prepared an "umbrella" Safe Harbor Agreement that will ensure that participating Molokai landowners who allow agency access to their lands for nene monitoring and predator control do not incur new Endangered Species Act regulations.

Under another Safe Harbor Agreement, the Umikoa Ranch on the Big Island created ponds for nene to use during their molting season and is controlling predators. Umikoa Ranch is also developing a Candidate Conservation Agreement that will provide it with regulatory assurances if any non-listed species benefiting from habitat reintroduction is listed as threatened or endangered in the future.

On Piiholo Ranch, the Baldwins are also planting native plants known to be nene food sources in several areas and determining how to balance the needs of the birds with their cattle ranching and horseback riding adventure tour business.  "This land is my family's heritage, and I want it to last," says Peter Baldwin, "but we also want to share our 'paniolo' [cowboy] lifestyle and our natural heritage so others can see how we live with, not just on, the land." 

As well as Safe Harbor regulatory assurances, all three ranches participating in nene recovery have received financial assistance from federal incentive programs. Landowners are participating in two Department of Interior programs, the Landowner Incentive Program and the Private Stewardship Grants Program, and Farm Bill programs administered by the Department of Agriculture, including the Wetlands Reserve Program. These partnerships of private landowners with state and federal agencies, as well as Ducks Unlimited for the Umikoa Ranch Safe Harbor, are creating new opportunities to recover threatened and endangered species and restore native habitats in Hawaii. The outlook is very good for more landowner participation in incentive programs to conserve Hawaii's natural heritage.

-Bill Standley
Conservation Initiatives Coordinator
Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife