James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act of 2005
JAMES CAMPBELL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE EXPANSION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - May 16, 2006)
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Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of passage of S. 1165, the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act of 2005. I cointroduced the House version of this bill (H.R. 2866) with my colleague, Congressman NEIL ABERCROMBIE.
S. 1165 expands the authorized boundary of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Honolulu, Hawaii, to include approximately 1,100 acres of land. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS, has managed the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, Hawaii, for the past 30 years to protect four endangered Hawaiian water birds--the Hawaiian stilt (ae`o), the Hawaiian moorhen (`alae `ula), the Hawaiian coot (`alae ke`oke`o), and the Hawaiian duck (koloa maoli)--and at least 25 different North American migratory birds. In 2005, USFWS acquired fee title to the 240-acre refuge located in two separate parcels. The expansion area will allow for acquisition of adjacent land to create a single, large, manageable, and ecologically intact unit that includes sufficient buffer land to reduce impacts on the Refuge. The acquisition will also facilitate a solution to area flooding problems.
The expanded acreage would allow for restoration of critical wetland habitat, which would form the largest managed freshwater wetland on Oahu. It would connect the two existing units and create a protected corridor between them to provide essential habitat for four endangered waterbird species and migratory waterbirds. It would also protect the last remaining large-scale and intact coastal dune ecosystem on Oahu and preserve native strand plants and protect coastal wildlife such as threatened green sea turtles, seabirds, migratory shorebirds, and possibly the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Support facilities could be constructed on upland areas to support environmental education and interpretation programs, visitor services, and habitat management programs. All land proposed for purchase is owned by the Estate of James Campbell, a willing seller.
Heavy floods occur frequently in this area, devastating residents who live in the adjacent town of Kahuku. Because of the location and natural function of this floodplain, the land acquisition also serves as the crucial component for the proposed Kahuku flood control project by preserving the floodwater retention of these wetlands and providing an area where flood control design can be made more efficient.
This habitat restoration proposal represents the most significant wetland enhancement project ever undertaken in Hawaii. By combining effective wetland restoration, endangered species conservation, environmental education, visitor opportunities, and flood control, benefits provided will serve not only the local communities, but also Hawai`i residents and visitors for generations to come.
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