Protected areas of Hawaiʻi (island)

Protected areas of Hawaiʻi (island)
Name	Protected areas of Hawaiʻi (island)
Location	Hawaiʻi (island), Hawaiian Islands, United States
Area	various
Established	various
Governing body	United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy

Protected areas of Hawaiʻi (island) provide legal and practical safeguards for landscapes, seascapes, and species on the island of Hawaiʻi (island), encompassing volcanic summits, native forests, coastal reefs, and offshore islets. These protected places include units administered by NPS, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, DLNR, municipal trusts, and private conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and Kamehameha Schools. They intersect with Native Hawaiian wahi pana and are central to regional efforts tied to Endangered Species Act, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and landscape-scale initiatives like Sustainable Hawaiʻi Initiative.

Overview

The island's protected-area network spans federally designated sites like Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, state-managed areas such as Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site oversight partnerships, and federal wildlife refuges including Hawaiʻi Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. These areas conserve features related to Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and coastal systems including Kona Coast and Hilo Bay. Management often requires coordination among United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, State Historic Preservation Division (Hawaii), and nonprofit entities including Hoʻokuaʻāina and Hawaii Land Trust.

Types of protected areas

Protected-area categories include national parks such as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, national marine sanctuaries like Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, national wildlife refuges (for example Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge units), state reserves such as Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Forest Reserve, county parks like Kailua Beach Park, and private preserves managed by The Nature Conservancy and Kamehameha Schools. Cultural preserves include ʻāina-based sites tied to Native Hawaiian practices and wahi kūpuna overseen by Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Scientific reserves and research partnerships link to institutions like University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.

Major protected areas and reserves

Major protected landscapes include Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (volcanology and Thurston Lava Tube), Mauna Kea Conservation District areas tied to the Mauna Kea Observatories and alpine ecosystems, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge protecting Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi, and the Kohala Watershed Forest Reserve. Marine and coastal reserves encompass the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (jurisdictional connections), and nearshore areas such as Kealakekua Bay and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Smaller but ecologically critical sites include Kīpuka Puaulu, Pōhakuloa Training Area buffer zones with mitigation projects, and offshore islets like Mokuʻāweoweo and seabird refugia.

Biodiversity and conservation priorities

Hawaiʻi (island) is a global center of endemism hosting taxa such as ʻŌhiʻa lehua (ʻŌhiʻa), Hawaiian honeycreepers, Hawaiian monk seal, green sea turtle, and diverse reef assemblages including Diadema antillarum analogues studied by regional scientists. Conservation priorities include protection of endemic plants like Silversword, conservation of endangered birds (for example Nēnē populations), control of invasive species such as Miconia calvescens, Coqui frog, Feral pig, and Axis deer, and mitigation of threats from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death pathogens and invasive ants. Watershed protection for aquifer recharge and coral reef resilience underpin efforts by Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and NOAA-supported programs.

Management, governance, and partnerships

Management is multi-jurisdictional: National Park Service administers federal parklands, USFWS oversees refuges, DLNR manages state forests and aquatic resources, and nonprofits such as The Nature Conservancy and Hawaii Land Trust hold conservation easements. Co-management arrangements involve Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Native Hawaiian organizations, and scientific partners like Bishop Museum and University of Hawaiʻi. Funding and legal frameworks involve Endangered Species Act, state statutes administered by DLNR, and philanthropic grants from entities including Pew Charitable Trusts. Collaborative programs link to NOAA Fisheries efforts for Hawaiian monk seal recovery and to community-based stewardship exemplified by ahupuaʻa restoration projects.

Threats and conservation challenges

Key threats include invasive flora and fauna—Miconia calvescens, Stiltgrass, and introduced ungulates—that degrade native forest and watershed function, pathogens such as Pseudomonas-related Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death impacting ʻŌhiʻa lehua, climate-driven shifts affecting coral bleaching and alpine snowpack on Mauna Kea, and development pressures in Kona and Hilo. Regulatory and social conflicts have arisen over development of astronomy facilities on Mauna Kea, public access disputes at cultural sites like Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and resource allocation tied to water rights adjudications involving Board of Land and Natural Resources decisions. Fire risk, sea-level rise, and funding shortfalls compound conservation challenges.

Recreation, access, and cultural significance

Protected areas provide recreation and cultural practices across sites such as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for volcano viewing, Kealakekua Bay for snorkeling and historic commemoration of Captain James Cook, and summit access on Mauna Kea tied to both astronomy and Native Hawaiian cosmology. Management balances visitor infrastructure, permits (for example for astronomy facilities and for reef-access permits coordinated with NOAA), and traditional practices including makahiki and voyaging linked to Polynesian Voyaging Society. Community-led stewardship and interpretive programs by Bishop Museum, Kamehameha Schools, and DLNR aim to integrate cultural values with biodiversity conservation and sustainable recreation.

Category:Protected areas of Hawaii (island)