HONOLULU — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing adding 40 plants and snails on Maui, Molokai and Lanai to the endangered species list. It’s also proposing designating critical habitat for 135 species on the three islands and Kahoolawe.
HONOLULU — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing adding 40 plants and snails on Maui, Molokai and Lanai to the endangered species list. It’s also proposing designating critical habitat for 135 species on the three islands and Kahoolawe.
The ideas are part of a holistic approach to protecting imperiled plants and animals by restoring health to the broader ecosystems they inhabit.
Previously, the service tried to protect endangered species by adopting separate plans to revive their respective habitats. This led to disjointed and overlapping efforts, particularly in Hawaii, which has more endangered species than any other state.
“The health of threatened and endangered species is linked to our own well-being,” said Loyal Mehrhoff, field supervisor for the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office. “Many people depend on habitat that sustains these species — for clean air and water, recreational opportunities and for their livelihoods.”
The 40 species proposed or re-evaluated for listing include 37 plant and three animal species. The plant species include herbs, shrubs, trees and ferns. The animal species are the Newcomb’s tree snail and two Lanai tree snails.
In 2010, the agency added 48 species from Kauai to the list and designated more than 40 square miles of the island as critical habitat. Last year it proposed doing something similar for 23 shrubs, trees and flies on Oahu.
The service is also now proposing name and spelling changes for 13 listed plants and animals on Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Maui, as well as the delisting of a Lanai plant. The Gahnia lanaiensis is no longer believed to be a valid species, the service said, and is now known to be synonymous with a species endemic to New Zealand. The plant is not in danger of extinction or likely to become an endangered species.
The agency will accept public comments until Aug. 10.