Goals

• Clearly define each major wetland area on the islands that can contribute to restoration of waterbird populations.
• Secure protected status, either in private or public ownership, for all major wetland areas within the next 10 years.
• Restore and enhance important wetland areas that are degraded.
• Increase all endangered waterbird populations above 2,000 individuals, with the exception of the Laysan duck where a goal of tripling the current population is feasible.

Assumptions

• Increasing wetland area and quality will increase waterbird populations.
• Major limiting factors for waterbirds are quality wetland habitat, introduced predators, and urban expansion.
• Wetlands in Hawaii can be individually recognized and analyzed for priorities in restoration and enhancement.

Strategies

• Concentrate initial restoration efforts at Hanalei floodplain, Kealia playa, Pouhala Marsh, and Big Island ranches.
• Develop prioritization model to assure restoration and protection is completed in order of highest need.
• Assist in population viability analyses for each of the endangered waterbird species (after Reed et al. 1994).
• Secure habitat usage information by koloa, both in montane breeding areas and coastal lowland wintering areas to better guide protection and restoration efforts.
• Develop a better understanding of migrant pathways for wintering birds beyond the Pacific Ocean.
• Develop better understanding of natural hydrologic patterns to improve design of restoration efforts (e.g., Hanalei River floodplain).
• Establish adaptive resource management within the islands through cooperatively developed management plans and annual workshops for managers.