Native Plant Restoration

Staff planting low stature, low flammability native species in a buffer area around the recently repaired comfort station at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site.

NPS

The Kalaupapa Fire ignited on January 9, 2020 and burned just over 20 acres within Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE). Despite its small size, both major and minor NPS facilities were significantly damaged by the fire, as were natural and cultural resources.

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE) is located on the west side of Hawaiʻi Island (The Big Island). Renowned for its rich cultural resources, including two large temples, or heiau, it was the site of numerous events that played a critical role in the history of Hawaiʻi and the formation of the Hawaiian Kingdom. National Park Service (NPS) stewardship works to preserve these rich cultural resources, collaborate with the Hawai’ian community, and preserve natural resources occurring within PUHE.

Puʻukoholā Heiau as seen from the battlefield area of PUHE. The green strips of vegetation makai (downslope / towards the ocean) of the heiau are pili plantings funded under BAR

NPS

The park’s focus for restoration has been the planting of pili grass (Heteropogon contortus) to rehabilitate the cultural landscape within PUHE. In 2020, the focus of burned area emergency response/emergency stabilization (BAER/ES) work was to stabilize existing planting and in-situ nurseries. The ES work was completed successfully in FY2020 and has facilitated ongoing burned area response (BAR) work, which is focused on continued planting to increase the numbers and density of pili within the park.

Over 1,100 additional pili seedlings were planted along Puʻukoholā Heiau in FY2021, using stock from the restored nursery and irrigated with the recently repaired drip lines.

An individual of naio papa (Myoporum sandwicense) planted near the newly repaired comfort station.

NPS

Additionally, for FY2021, vegetation rehabilitation was also completed around the newly repaired comfort station, which was severely damaged in the Kalaupapa Fire. Seventy-five low stature, low flammability native species were planted as a buffer around the comfort station, and several thousand seeds of these species were also scattered in the area. This vegetation will reduce the potential of damage to that building from future fires.

These accomplishments highlight the need for multi-year funding to ensure the success of treatments and the park’s adaptation to planting climate-resilient species near facilities.