Attachment 2 - Kokee AFS Trip Report.pdf

Trip Report Kokee AFS

Dillon Brown, Installation Biologist, USAF 611 CES

3-5 Dec 2019

Attendees:

Dr. Andre Raine

Kyle Pias

Chief MSgt Vance Yamamoto

Met with Dr. Andre Raine, UH/KESRP and discussed the past year progress on the Kokee AFS seabird monitoring and predator control. Dr. Raine had (at our request) been having the AFS personnel turn on the walkway bollard lights during their seabird surveys at the station this year. On multiple occasions, they had birds circle the station for extended periods. His assessment from surveys with the lights and without, are that the pathway lights are indeed attractive to the seabirds. His suggestion was that now we know the lights are attracting these ESA birds we should continue to leave them off during the seabird season. He also suggested that less time, money, and effort be spent on the monitoring actions on the station and more on the predator control portion. I agree with all these assessments. We also discussed the lack of predator control this fiscal year and how we might best move the project forward for future work. We discussed some ideas for the new SOW and what actions could be taken with the funds available.

Also met with Kyle Pias, Hallox, whom is the primary (sub) contractor doing the predator control work. We agree that more time and effort should be spent on predator control as it more effective use of the funds. We also discussed the follow-on SOW work and budget.

We agree that the predator control work, while tied to seabird populations, does not demonstrate results in the same period. It will often be several years before the true effects of predator control can be seen through increases in seabird populations. WE also discussed the need to maintain on-site predator control at the station but also using funds as we have in the past for the off-site locations.

We (Mr. Pias and myself) met with Chief Yamamoto from the Kokee AFS who allowed us to store the AF equipment that had been turned in by Hallox. All equipment was returned and is in good working order, with obvious hard use in some products (cat traps, etc.) that is expected through their use and deployment into the field.

Perimeter vegetation surveys were completed for the presence of invasive species encroaching upon the fence line at the station. Surveys were targeting the following:

White Ginger (Hedychium coronarium) Yellow Ginger (Hedychium flavescens) Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleyanum) Queen-of-the-Nile Lily (Agapanthus africanus)

Raspberry (Rubus sp.)

Banana Passionfruit (Passiflora tripartita) Wedelia (Sphagneticola trilobata) Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major) Honeysuckle (unknown) Fuchsia (Fuchsia sp.) (Quelusia group)

Montbretia Lily (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora), while certainly present at the station, were not targeted as they were mostly not flowering (saw only one inflorescence) and so true population occurrence was difficult to sample with any confidence. Unlike the Nile lilies which form large distinct clumps that are easily identified.

All plant occurrences were marked via GPS unit for later analysis using mapping techniques. Ginger (both species) and Raspberry are pervasive in the immediate vicinity of the station and the larger surrounding area. Control of these species would be a multi-year process. Queen of the Nile Lily, Periwinkle, Strawberry Guava, and Passionfruit occurred in several discrete populations and could likely be controlled in a single season. The remaining species, Wedelia, Honeysuckle, and Fuchsia, occurred in only one or two locations and could almost certainly be eradicated in under a year (see maps).

Banana Passionfruit INVASIVE Greater Periwinkle INVASIVE Montbretia Lily INVASIVE

Native forest surrounding Kokee AFS.

Wedelia and Strawberry Guava should be the focus for immediate action. These are highly invasive species (both listed in the top 100 most invasive species by the UN) that are at low enough density that eradication is a real possibility. Strawberry Guava represents a significant threat, as it becomes huge monoculture stands quickly. It is spread by feral pigs, and I saw evidence of significant pig presence around the station. Wedelia forms thick mats and crowds out all other groundcover.

Pig track

Despite the presence of invasive species, overall the native vegetation remains very high around the station. The further one travels from the established presence of people (i.e. the station fence line and the road), the higher the proportion of native species. While some invasives may be beyond control, others may be at levels where eradication is still plausible.

Pilo (Coprosoma sp.) berries Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) Tongueferns (Elaphoglossum paleaceum)

Maile (Alyxia oliviformis) berries

With the continued need to maintain dark sky conditions, the clear zone around the fence line is especially important. The State of Hawaii DLNR maintains that this is a relatively pristine area and would rather not see massive tree/ brush clearing into their lands (which surround the fence line of the station. However, if we can demonstrate that 1) most of the plants in the immediate fence line area are invasive and 2) that we are going to be controlling invasive plant populations that we otherwise have no reason to clear, then we can show a net benefit to the State. The state gets invasives removed and we get a wider perimeter zone around the fence line, which in turn provides for better security, which allows us to maintain dark conditions to avoid bird strikes from ESA species. Thus clearing invasive plants is good for everyone.

In addition to field activities, I also reviewed and provided comments on the PRSC Fact Sheet, PRSC OI document, reviewed and commented on the revised EPP and SWPPP for the Wake repaving project, sat in on a teleconference call for that same project, and I completed AATAPS.