ARMY DETONATES 1,000-POUND BOMB AT MAKUA. The Army is working with the Waianae coast community through the Ukanipo Heiau Advisory Group to develop a long-range management plan for the Hawaiian religious site. Ukanipo Heiau is located at the front of Kahanahaiki Valley, one of three valleys that make up Makua Military Reservation. Some archaeologists believe the heiau was a place where bodies of the alii were placed until they were ready for burial in a designated cave. Other archaeologists believe that the heiau was a luakini, reserved for use by chiefs as a place of human sacrifice. The heiau is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During recent surveys, EOD personnel accompanying the archaeologists discovered several pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO). On the morning of October 23, members of the 706th Explosive Ordnance Company, commanded by CPT Nathan London, blew up the UXO, the largest being a 1,000-pound bomb located about 1,000 feet above the Ukanipo Heiau.

Prior to the event, London said his team of 14 explosives experts would limit the fragmentation and direct it away from the heiau. "We plan to countercharge the main charge," London said, "by covering a portion of the bomb with another explosive charge to limit the fragmentation." Also detonated on October 23, were a 100-pound bomb and three mortar rounds. The 100-pound bomb was located 660 feet from the heiau and 150 feet from a burial site. Sandbags were used to contain the blast from the 100-pound bomb. The mortar rounds were blown up but were not close to the heiau or any burial sites. The 1,000-pound bomb was the last to be detonated in an operation that lasted less than 15 minutes. Farrington Highway fronting Makua Valley and Makua Beach was closed for several hours during the operation, which began at 6:00 AM and ended at 9:30 AM. The Coast Guard also patrolled the waters off the beach. Afterwards, EOD and Waianae coast representatives inspected the blast site to check for damage to the heiau. The entire operation was well planned and very successful. Public safety was protected and there was no observed damage to any archaeological sites. Later, another 500-pound bomb was discovered and successfully detonated on December 8. Additional UXO may be found as range clearance operations continue around the heiau area.

RARE SNAIL SIGHTED AGAIN by Vince Costello. On November 14, 1998, Army Natural Resources Center staff were fortunate to discover 22 live Laminella sanguinea, a rare Hawaiian landsnail, on the slopes of Puu Hapapa in the South Range of Schofield Barracks. Adult L. sanguinea are conical shaped, approximately 3/4 inch long, and have a striking appearance with reddish-orange coloration accented by zigzagging black lines.

This particular species of snail is presently being considered for endangered species status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as its numbers have been declining in recent years. Once common in Hawaii, it is rare today due to the same problems affecting Oahu tree snail populations, such as: predation by rats and the introduced carnivorous snail, Euglandina rosea; loss of habitat due to the spread of introduced weeds and other human-caused disturbances; and perhaps meteorological disturbances, like drought and elevated temperature possibly related to global warming. The snails were last sighted on Army lands two years ago when we were accompanied by Dr. Daniel Chung, of Kapiolani Community College, and Mr. John Obata, a noted botanist, to another site in the South Range where nine L. sanguinea were found. While we've revisited this original population many times over the last two years, no live individuals were seen which further indicates the fragility of their continued existence. Because of general habitat destruction, this species seems to be barely holding on by surviving in micro-habitats, veritable islands of native forest with just the right mixture of preferred vegetation that this species of landsnail requires to thrive. We will continue our monitoring of the newly discovered population on Puu Hapapa.

PTA WORK EXCHANGE by Kapua Kawelo. During November 1998, Joby Rohrer and I from the Army Natural Resources Center, and Eric Vanderwerf, a graduate student in the University of Hawaii's zoology department, traveled to Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on the Big Island to assist the PTA staff with a few field tasks. We were invited over to assist Lena Schnell, PTA wildlife biologist, in banding of elepaio, the native Hawaiian flycatcher, in the Kipuka Alala vicinity. In addition, Oahu staff assisted Steve Evans, PTA botanist, with the installation of vegetation plots to track the effects of fencing on native and alien vegetation, and we also shared rare plant monitoring methods.

We first banded elepaio in the Kipuka Alala area in the southwestern corner of PTA in August 1996 when 22 birds were caught. During the November 1998 trip, another 15 elepaio were banded. Bird banding is a key tool used in monitoring bird populations because each bird receives a unique band color combination so that it may be re-identified using binoculars and monitored over time. Other data collected during the banding process include: morphometric data such as weight and wing length, blood samples for disease screening, and plumage notes, all of which will be used for research related to management of the birds. Data collected thus far indicate that the Kipuka Alala elepaio population is not healthy. Only 29% of birds banded in August 1996 survived to November 1998, a 54% annual survival rate. Also none of eleven pairs of elepaio observed had fledglings and only one two-year old bird was seen. The low survival of adults suggests disease, such as malaria or avian pox virus may be seriously affecting this population. Poor reproduction may be due to predation by rats. A significant amount of rat sign has been observed in the vicinity, namely seed predation and rat tracking board activity. Rat control has been documented to cause an increase in reproductive success of elepaio on Oahu and might also be useful in protecting this population at PTA.

PTA and Oahu vegetation plot methodologies were compared to determine the most appropriate choice or combination of methods to track the impact of fencing and feral animal removal on the recovery of native plant communities on the western side of PTA. We decided that the point intercept data from existing Land Condition Trend Analysis transects, established under the Army's Integrated Training Area Management program many years ago, could provide some data useful in detecting changes in the ungulate browse line and changes in percent cover of existing mature native trees. We also established new permanent understory plots within the proposed fence area and outside this area. These new plots are specifically designed to track changes in vegetation percent cover (less than one meter high) and to track seedling recruitment. This combination of methodologies will ensure that the effect of fencing and removing ungulates on native plant communities is well documented.

Rare plant monitoring was conducted using the new Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group (HRPRG) monitoring form. Army Natural Resources Center staff on Oahu headed the HRPRG sub-committee on monitoring and collecting protocol. With the help of The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, USFWS, and Lyon Arboretum staffs, we coalesced all the types of field data collected by botanists in the group into one standard form. Steve Evans applied this new approach to rare plant monitoring at a Silene lanceolata population and at a Tetramolopium sp. one population. One very useful feature of this form is a section where the age structure of a population can be tracked and used in determining population health.

We enjoyed our trip to PTA and look forward to doing it again or perhaps having the PTA staff come to Oahu to share their ideas on Oahu projects.

ARMY ATTENDS TRAINING FOR STREAM MONITORING. In late October, Matt Burt, Jordan Jokiel, Mat Keir, Joby Rohrer, and Kapua Kawelo from the Army's Natural Resources Center of Oahu participated in stream monitoring and assessment training on Kauai. The training was conducted by Michael Kido and Julie Devrell from the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Stream Research Center and Jeff Koppel from the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The trip was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who awarded the Hawaii Stream Research Center a small grant to conduct stream monitoring/assessment training for us.

The staff was trained in techniques which will be used in assessing the quality of streams on Army training areas on Oahu. Using these techniques, streams are given a score from 0-50 (50 being excellent) for their biological components and 0-50 for the habitat quality. The combined biological/habitat score gives land managers an idea of the quality of each stream surveyed. This methodology was developed collectively by Gordon Smith of the Department of Health and Michael Kido.

The training was conducted at Limahuli Gardens on Kauai’s north shore. The staff donned wetsuits, submerged into the cold waters of Limahuli stream, and were taught how to identify native as well as non-native aquatic species. Army Natural Resources Center staff were also shown the physical components which are used to assess a stream habitat. These included things such as the stream slope, the amount of sediment in the stream, the amount and species composition of vegetation along the stream bank, the variety of micro-habitats (cascades, waterfalls, riffles, pools, boulders, etc.), the amount of channel alteration, and the stream velocity. Healthy streams tend to have little or no channelization, little sedimentation, and a variety of micro-habitats.

ARMY INITIATES FORMAL CONSULTATION WITH U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOR MAKUA MILITARY RESERVATION. On November 4, 1998 the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U. S. Army, Hawaii completed a Biological Assessment and initiated formal consultation for routine military training activities at Makua Military Reservation (MMR). Consultation with the USFWS is required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for any federal action that is likely to adversely affect a species listed by the USFWS as endangered or threatened. Currently all military training at MMR is shut down until the Army completes its formal consultation around the end of March 1999.