Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Final Island Restoration Brochure
Final Island Restoration Brochure
The benefits of removing invasive species are unmistakable at Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii. Deer and feral livestock outside of an exclusion fence are stripping the native
vegetation. Inside the fence, the park is a sanctuary for Hawaii’s native plants and animals. Photo: Don Reeser/NPS
There have been over 1,000 successful invasive species removal projects on islands worldwide.
B I RD TRA N SLOCAT ION INVASIV E PLA N T R E M OVA L POPU LAT ION PR OTE CTI O N
Laysan Island, Hawai‘i Santa Cruz Island, California Anacapa Island, California
Problem: In 1967, the Nihoa millerbird was Problem: Approximately 26% of Santa Cruz Problem: Invasive rats decimated native
listed as endangered under the ESA. A Island is impacted by invasive plants that seabird populations by eating their eggs and
small population and limited habitat makes displace native vegetation, including the vulnerable hatchlings, including the Scripps’s
the millerbird exceptionally vulnerable to endangered island bedstraw. The loss of murrelet. One of the rarest seabirds, the
extinction from an invasive predator or even native plants threatens the island ecosystem Scripps’s murrelet is also one of the most
one catastrophic hurricane. and native wildlife. threatened because it only nests on a few
islands.
Solution: Invasive rabbits were eradicated Solution: The Partners for Fish and Wildlife
from Laysan Island but not before the Program has worked with the County of Santa Solution: In 2002, the Service, NPS, CA
extinction of the Laysan rail, Laysan millerbird Barbara, Channel Islands Restoration, TNC, Dept. of Fish and Game, NOAA and Island
and Laysan honeycreeper. In 2011, the Coastal National Park Service (NPS), USGS and other Conservation completed the rat eradication
Program, American Bird Conservancy, partners to remove invasive vegetation. which protected the murrelet and other native
National Oceanic and Atmospheric species.
Results: The island ecosystem is recovering,
Administration (NOAA) and the Refuge
as is the island bedstraw. The ecosystem Results: By 2014, nesting by Scripps’s
System translocated millerbirds from Nihoa
restoration further benefits native wildlife, murrelets increased by six-fold to 60 nests,
Island to Laysan Island to establish a second
such as the endangered Santa Cruz Island fox. and hatching success increased three-fold to
population, reducing the risk of extinction.
Following the removal of non-native golden 85%. In 2012, another rare seabird, the ashy
Results: As of September 2014, the Laysan eagles, the fox population is large enough that storm-petrel, was recorded nesting on the
millerbird population has increased from 24 the Service is reconsidering its endangered island for the first time. Restoration projects
birds to 161 birds. status. like this one help sustain vulnerable animals.
Photo: Nihoa millerbird. R. Kohley/USFWS Photo: Island bedstraw. National Park Service Photo: Scripps’s murrelet. Glen Tepke/www.pbase.com/gtepke
Coastal Program
www.fws.gov/coastal
www.facebook.com/CoastalProgram
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
www.fws.gov/partners
www.facebook.com/PFWProgram
Cover photo: Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: Kydd Pollock