BMPs_for_admin_heli_use_HAVO_public_version_05152024_final_0003.pdf

Best Management Practices rev. 5/15/2024 Page 1

Aviation Best Management Practices for HVNP revised 05/15/2024

Background information: The average annual hours of administrative use of helicopters by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) and park partners (primarily USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) that originate in the park is 250 hours (150 hours park, 100 hours park partners). This includes NPS emergency responses to monitor and suppress wildland fires, search and rescue missions, maintenance of backcountry facilities and trails, invasive species management, and protection of native ecosystems.

For some, particularly Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), a lot of the flight time is outside of park boundaries (e.g. monitoring the rift zones). The amount of administrative helicopter use in a given year is influenced by project funding, eruptive and seismic activity, and other emergency responses. In a typical year, when wildland fire activity is low, monitoring an active volcano and actively protecting threatened and endangered species requires the majority of the helicopter use.

General Best Management Practices (BMPs) A flight plan will be required and approved according to the procedures outlined in the current park Aviation Management Plan. Potential impacts can be minimized or resolved through discussions in the planning stage including consultation with resource specialists and other subject matter experts to result in the least impact. Approved flight plans should be sent 24-72 hours prior to the flight to the following email “NPS HAVO Flight Plan Notifications” nps_havo_flight_plan_notifications@nps.gov . The current flight plan template is an appendix in the park’s Aviation Management Plan.

The rainshed helibase is the preferred location for the initiation and completion of project rotor wing missions. Flight path out of the rainshed helibase will typically be to the north due to prevailing wind patterns. After departing the helibase, the flight path will avoid adjoining landowners, as much as practicable, and will be at least 500 AGL until project/mission work area is reached.

Staging areas (helispots) near the work site may be used to minimize operational exposure and reduce flight time. Select staging areas based on 1. Safety first, 2. Impact concerns (disturbed sites or bare lava selected first if possible), and 3. Cost/efficiency/closeness to job site (may have the temporary helispot further away from job site if it means less impact).

Utilize helispots in this order of preference: 1. List of temporary helispots from Aviation Management Plan (already cleared/surveyed/routinely used); 2. Sites that do not need a survey (e.g. bare ground (rock), roadway, existing helipads outside of park in proximity to project site); and, 3. Sites that need a survey (natural resources and cultural resources) prior to being cleared for use. Consult with NRM and CRM resource advisors prior to using new sites.

Avoid flights over high concentration visitor use areas or culturally sensitive areas. These areas include:

Kīlauea Visitor Center, Volcano House, Uēkahuna, end of Chain of Craters Road, Steam Vents, Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Kīlauea Caldera, Devastation Trail, Kīpukapuaulu, Maunaulu

– parking lot and trail to Pu‘uhuluhulu, Ka‘ū Desert Footprints area, Hilina Pali Shelter, Mauna Loa Road Lookout, and Puhimau hot spot.

Temporary landing zones, staging areas, flight paths, time of flight, and above ground level (AGL) will be selected to avoid or minimize flight hazards as well as impacts on visitors, nearby landowners or mailto:nps_havo_flight_plan_notifications@nps.gov

Best Management Practices rev. 5/15/2024 Page 2 communities, developed areas, wilderness, and park resources. Pilots will be asked to fly at highest AGL as practicable on flight to park to minimize impacts under flight path.

Low-level / low-flying is defined as below 500’ AGL (NPS Director’s Orders Reference Manual #60, 2013).

Not all administrative flights are low-level flights.

When project and/or vendor schedule permits, missions will be combined into a single operation or flight day.

Examples include: – HVO combines various missions into a single flight day, usually on the day an eruption reconnaissance flight is scheduled. – Work groups combine helicopter use with other work groups or projects, for example, coastal area sling loads for maintenance projects are done the same day as turtle operation sling loads.

Two days a week are currently ‘no fly’ days, Saturday and Sunday. Very rarely, routine work may be completed on these days, but enhanced outreach/education would be considered. This would not be applicable for eruptions or emergencies.

Wilderness values will be protected. Fly outside wilderness boundaries and along road corridors where possible (flights with external loads may have restrictions). Avoidance distance will be determined based on project and location. Land/drop outside of wilderness and hike people/materials in when feasible.

Minimum Requirement Decision Guide (MRDG) will be completed for all flights over or in wilderness (or suitable/eligible/recommended).

Avoid low-level flights over backcountry campsites and trails, particularly along or parallel to trails.

Minimize flights over the known quietest locations (natural ambient sound) in the park, including Kīpukakī, Mauna Loa, Ka‘ū Desert, Kahuku unit (especially upper Kahuku).

Avoid low level flights over USGS and NPS personnel working on the ground due to the hazards of the rotor wash, noise, and vibration interference with monitoring equipment.

Adhere to restrictions for threatened and endangered (T&E) and sensitive species and their habitats (see ‘Restrictions’ for more information).

Avoid sunrise and sunset flights as these are the most sensitive for sensitive species and cultural resources/ethnographic concerns.

When possible, reschedule flights if weather forces low-level flights over visitors, nearby landowners or communities, T&E or sensitive species, or wilderness, and multiple flights are anticipated.

If a planned flight involves choices between impacts to T&E/sensitive species or visitors/adjacent landowners, then protection of T&E species will take precedence (due to legal requirements), with mitigation to reduce impacts on visitors and neighbors through notification and education.

Best Management Practices rev. 5/15/2024 Page 3

When planning flights, anticipate a minimum 1-mile radius Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) around new eruptive vents, within which all flights are suspended. Eruption monitoring and emergency response are authorized within the TFR by the Superintendent. HVNP will request from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a TFR upon new eruptive events.

Temporary airspace closures for air tour operators will be implemented for special ceremonies/events.

These should be adhered to for administrative flights, which include a 5-mile stand-off distance from the special event area. This would not apply to emergency/eruption response flights.

Roles and Responsibilities Project Managers will notify the appropriate staff of upcoming flights through the notification email distribution list, as well as any additional coordination necessary for protection of sensitive species. To increase visitor notification and education regarding administrative flights, the backcountry permit office will be notified of flights and will notify permit applicants when appropriate. Notices may also be posted (such as at visitor center, backcountry permit office, trailheads) prior to flights to allow visitors to select quieter places if desired, and educate visitors on purpose of flights.

The Public Affairs Specialist (PAS) issues a monthly public notice for the park’s administrative flights to local media, stakeholders, park partners and employees and posts it to the park website. The park flight notice includes a mention that USGS may conduct flights as well, but does typically describe the flight activity in detail unless it is unusal. The PAS will determine if USGS or other agency administrative flights should be included in the public notice based on the flight plan. It is recommended that any low-level or unusually intensive helicopter work near visitor use areas, nearby landowners, or communities be included in the park notice. Examples of intensive helicopter work would be 2-3 hours of flight time per day or frequent flights over a 2- or 3-day period for a large fence replacement project, intensive volcanic monitoring, landing in Kaluapele, or equipment replacement. The PAS sends out a reminder to the NPS HAVO Flight Plan Notification email group as a reminder each month to submit the following month’s anticipated flights.

For all project planning and implementation, the project leader and the flight manager will work together to ensure that Best Management Practices (BMPs) are adhered to, and applicable Minimum Requirement Decision Guides (MRDGs) for wilderness flights are completed and implemented. He/she is also responsible for consulting with the appropriate subject matter expert to identify and mitigate potential resource concerns with proposed flights/landings. The project leader is responsible for communicating appropriate BMPs, MRDGs and resource mitigations to the flight manager. The flight manager will follow the project leader’s instructions while ensuring that all aviation safety procedures and policies are followed.

Project and Flight Managers will ensure staff working with/on flights understand and adhere to the BMPs. This applies to all park and park partner project and flight managers (such as HVO, NPS Inventory and Monitoring, USGS-BRD-Pacific Island Ecosystem Research Center, etc.)

At least annually, the contract helicopter pilots will receive a copy of the BMPs. At the beginning of each project, the project and flight managers will ensure the BMPs are adhered to while conducting contract work for the park or its partners in the park.

Best Management Practices rev. 5/15/2024 Page 4

Resource specialists will be contacted prior to vegetation clearing or potential resource concerns for landing site (vegetation, invertebrates/understory plants, birds, bats, cultural resources) and sites will be relocated to avoid impacts to resources. Tree trimming (for landing site improvements) will be avoided during critical nesting and pupping periods. In cases where trimming during sensitive periods are unavoidable (e.g. in forest where multiple species co-occur), resource specialists will determine if sensitive wildlife are in the area and depending on the determination, consult USFWS.

The helicopter that is selected for the work would be the most effective for the mission (e.g., larger helicopter for fewer trips when appropriate, quieter helicopter for work near wilderness if available and cost effective). Contract helicopters with quiet technology would be considered.

During wildland fire and other extended emergency incidents:

1. As soon as possible, resource advisors are assigned to incidents to coordinate natural and cultural resource concerns and provide recommendations for minimizing impacts of response endorsed by the Incident Commander. Follow Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations and any other US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) guidance or instructions regarding the consultation process and notification of incidental take with USFWS.

2. As soon as possible, all personnel on the fire are informed about sensitive cultural features to avoid and sensitive and listed species and the importance of protecting their habitats and minimizing take. This is best identified in the incident management objectives.

3. The effectiveness of suppression activities and mitigation measures should be documented and evaluated after an incident. Procedures should be revised as needed.

Restrictions

Specific area and time of year restrictions, as prescribed by park resource specialists, will be followed to avoid impacts to sensitive, threatened, and endangered species and their habitat. Species and specific areas include, but are not limited to: Hawaiian goose, Hawaiian petrel, Hawaiian hawk, black noddy and other seabirds, Hawaiian hoary bat, Hawaiian monk seal, and sensitive and endangered forest bird habitat. Restrictions are designed specifically to minimize disturbance to each species in that species’ primary habitat and may include limitations, such as, specific times of day in specific areas, minimum AGL or lateral distances, no landing zones, and/or no rotor wash areas.

If the area and time of year restrictions cannot be followed, then the project manager needs to talk to the subject matter expert for the species/area to evaluate potential impact to species and determine if Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultation with USFWS is needed (see attached list of people and their expertise). Consultation with USFWS can take 60 days to 9 months (depending on impacts to species). For helicopter activities that are part of an emergency response (e.g. wildland fire, search and rescue, active eruptions, and catastrophic events) follow ESA regulations regarding the consultation process and reporting of incidental take with USFWS.

Area and time of year restrictions maps can be found in the Natural Resources Management office at the park. General species and/or habitat descriptions include:

Best Management Practices rev. 5/15/2024 Page 5

Sensitive and Endangered Forest Bird habitat - Avoid low-level flights over forest in the upper Kahuku East area (adjacent to the Ka‘ū Forest Reserve), in the northwest corner (<4,000 ft elev) of ‘Ōla‘a Large Tract (see map), and vicinity of Mauna Loa Trailhead (6,600 ft elev) from Feb. - May due to endangered and sensitive forest bird nesting.

Hawaiian hawk habitat - Low-level helicopter work will be scheduled before or after the breeding season (March thru September). If low-level flights are unavoidable during the breeding season, routes will avoid flying within 1,500 feet of known nests. In addition, year-round the helicopter crew and pilot will be informed of the importance of watching for circling hawks, and reroute to avoid collision.

Hawaiian petrel and band-rumped storm petrel - Avoid sunrise and sunset flights in subalpine habitat above 8,000’ elevation on Mauna Loa and other areas birds are known to use in the park.

Newell’s shearwater – Avoid sunrise and sunset flights over the east rift of Kīlauea.

Hawaiian hoary bat - Avoid sunset flights on Mauna Loa near forest edge for protection of Hawaiian hoary bat. Avoid removing or trimming trees >15 feet tall and helicopter work that would generate rotor wash in trees in forest below 5,000 feet elevation from June 1 – September 15 to protect breeding, roosting, and non-volant bats (e.g. avoid short haul, sling loading during that time period in that area).

Black noddy and other seabirds - Avoid flying low along coastal cliffs; for tropic birds, avoid flying directly over pit craters during breeding season (March through October).

Hawaiian monk seal - For flights near coastal beaches, if monk seals are present, flights and landings should be kept 1,000 feet from the animal (AGL and laterally).

Hawaiian goose - No flying below 2,000 feet AGL and no landing should occur in critical breeding and flocking areas.

The Avian Biologist would be contacted prior to low-level flights in the following areas (year-round):

Kīlauea unit - KMC to SW Rift and Keanakāko‘i to Pu‘upua‘i Kahuku unit - subalpine scrub along upper eastern boundary (Nēnē Cabin up to 8,500 feet).