Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Sue and Settle: Bird Lights Now Part of Grand Wailea Marketing Plan
By News Release @ 5:58 PM :: 1778 Views :: Maui County, Environment, Tourism

Maui Hotel, Conservation Groups Reach Agreement to Protect Endangered Hawaiian Petrel

News Release from Center for Biological Diversity, Nov 1, 2022

WAILEA, Hawai‘i— In accordance with a recent settlement agreement, the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui has implemented protective measures, including reducing lighting, to help protect the endangered ‘ua‘u, or Hawaiian petrel. The agreement, which was finalized on Oct. 21, resolves an Endangered Species Act case brought by Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity, which were represented by Earthjustice.

“This agreement gives our precious ‘ua‘u a chance at survival,” said Maxx Phillips, Hawai‘i director at the Center. “The dark skies needed by these birds during fledging season benefit our community too, by allowing us to marvel at the stars as people have since time immemorial.”

“Grand Wailea’s deep commitment to protecting endangered Hawaiian seabirds is reflected in the numerous new protective measures that we implemented ahead of the fledgling season, including removing, replacing, shielding and dimming lights across the property,” said J.P. Oliver, managing director of Grand Wailea. “We will continue to monitor seabird activity on the property and are contributing to off-site projects to protect ‘ua‘u.”

“The parties worked cooperatively to identify measures that will help reduce the risk of seabirds being attracted and disoriented by artificial lights at the resort,” said Earthjustice attorney Leināʻala Ley. “Grand Wailea also agreed to monitoring by dedicated and trained seabird searchers who will verify whether the resort’s lighting minimization measures are sufficient to prevent future harm.”

“The resort is taking meaningful steps to minimize the light attraction problem in this important Hawaiian petrel flyway,” said Colleen Heyer, board president of Conservation Council for Hawai‘i. “If other hotels and other landowners took a similar approach to dimming their lights, it would go a long way towards ensuring these magnificent birds will be around for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”

The Hawaiian petrel is a native seabird that is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and Hawai‘i state law. It travels thousands of miles across the Pacific to forage for squid and other marine life. Hawai‘i is the only place in the world where the ‘ua‘u breeds, with adults returning to nest at the same site where they fledged after spending the first six years of their lives at sea. The largest surviving nesting colony occurs on the volcanic slopes of Haleakalā, where the birds dig burrows in the rocky soil.

Fledgling ‘ua‘u leave their nests for their first flight to the sea from mid-September to mid-December. Some birds are attracted to and disoriented by artificial lights, circling the lights until they fall to the ground from exhaustion or strike other human-made structures. Once grounded, it is difficult for ‘ua‘u to take flight, leaving them highly vulnerable to predators, dehydration and starvation.

Hawai‘i is an extinction hotspot, and local action to protect the islands’ unique species and ecosystems is invaluable in the global fight to preserve biodiversity and ensure a livable future.

This agreement resolves the conservation groups’ lawsuit filed in February 2022.

---30---

CB: Settlement Reached In Maui Light Pollution Case Over Endangered Seabirds

MN: Resort reaches settlement with conservation groups who sued over lighting concerns

SA: Maui resort agrees to reduce bright lights to protect Hawaii seabird

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT