Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships : Three Mountain Alliance

Three Mountain Alliance

Photo: Jack Jeffrey. Click on the picture to hear native forest birds.

TMA News and Announcements

-6,600 acres at Kulani is currently proposed to become a Natural Area Reserve. This area is a key management cornerstone for TMA with many years of work behind it, making it one of the highest quality forest areas left on the island. To read more about the proposal, click here. There will be a public hearing on Monday, July 12th at 6:30pm at the Cooper Center in Volcano Village.

-Three Mountain Alliance honored with U.S. Dept. of Interior Cooperative Conservation Award in Washington D.C., hear about it on Hawaii Public Radio (click on Hawaii News, May 6, 2009 segment) or read the press release and the resulting news stories that appeared in Hawaii247.org

Partners

Hawai‘i Department of Public Safety

     Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
     Kamehameha Schools
     National Park Service
     The Nature Conservancy
     US Fish and Wildlife Service
     USDA Forest Service
     US Geological Survey
     USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    *In association with the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit and the University of Hawaii

Where We Work and Resources Found

The Three Mountain Alliance (TMA) encompasses over one million acres (or 45%) of Hawai‘i island’s total 2,573,400 acres and consists of four priority management areas: ‘Ōla‘a Kīlauea, Ka‘ū Kapāpala, South Kona, and North Kona. The area is home to three of the island’s youngest volcanoes, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Kīlauea.

Approximately 85% of the total TMA land area is comprised of native ecosystems. The TMA contains some of the largest expanses of intact native forest remaining in the Hawaiian Islands (approximately 50% of the State’s remaining native habitat). Due to the variations in elevation, climate, and vegetation, the TMA is home to thousands of native species as well as rare and threatened or endangered species (many of which are endemic to the island).

Major native ecosystems found in the TMA include alpine, subalpine, montane (dry, mesic and wet), and lowland (dry, mesic and wet).


K‘aū Forest	Pleomele auwahiensis or Halapepe	Cyanea shipmanii or haha, endangered species

Threats

Fire - Uncontrolled wildfires have become an increasingly serious threat to native ecosystems in the TMA area. Wildfires leave the landscape bare and vulnerable to erosion and non-native weed invasions. Invasive weeds, particularly fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) which is a fire-adapted weed that has evolved to rely on fire for regeneration, are quick to reclaim burned areas, further changing the natural fire dynamics.

Fencing and ungulate removal in puu kipu unit

Hoofed animals, or ungulates - Pigs, goats, mouflon, sheep, and cattle are a major threat to the TMA area. Wild (feral) ungulates destroy native vegetation and prevent its regeneration through consumption, while accelerating the invasion of weed species through direct dispersal of seeds on their coats and in their droppings. In addition, pig wallows provide mosquito-breeding habitat that promotes the spread of avian malaria and pox – the two most deadly diseases for native forest birds, as well as human diseases. In some landscapes, feral ungulates have caused severe and extensive erosion, directly affecting both the forested uplands and the nearshore coral reefs. Cumulatively, ungulate impacts cause the decline of intact native ecosystems which can affect watershed functions and jeopardize the future existence of rare and endangered plants and animals.

Weeds - One of the major threats to native ecosystems and species in the TMA area is the uncontrolled spread of invasive non-native plants. These plants displace distinctive native flora, resulting in a loss of species diversity and eventually in more pronounced and permanent changes to ecosystem function such as alteration of primary productivity and nutrient cycling. Many invasive species completely replace native vegetation resulting in total loss of native habitats.

Smaller animals also have the potential to become serious pests in the watershed. Feral cats, rats, mongoose, dogs, house mice, and certain non-native birds are known to consume or compete with native species. In addition, like ungulates, small mammals can affect water quality by serving as vectors of water-borne diseases.

Other threats include introduced diseases and pathogens, human disturbance, and climate change.

What We Do

The overall management goal of the Three Mountain Alliance is to sustain the multiple ecosystem benefits provided by the three mountains of Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai by responsibly managing its watershed areas, native habitats and species, historical, cultural, and socio-economic resources for all who benefit from the continued health of the three mountains.

Management programs have been developed to support these overall goals and include the following: habitat protection and restoration, watershed protection, compatible economic use, compatible recreation and ecotourism, education, awareness and public outreach, cultural resource protection and research, monitoring and management program indicators.


Koa reforestation effort at Keahou Ranch	Replanting native forest species	Outreach and education

Management Plan and Other Resources

Three Mountain Alliance Management Plan
Weed Management Plan

‘Ōla‘a Kīlauea Management Plan
North Kona Habitat Restoration Project Final Environmental Assessment

Contact Information

Colleen Cole, Coordinator
Three Mountain Alliance
P.O. Box 52
Resources Management
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718
Ph: (808) 985-6197
Fax: (808) 985-6029
Email: tcolleencole@gmail.com