February 22, 2005

Honolulu Advertiser

To Whom It May Concern:

Haleakala National Park is concerned over potentially negative consequences of the proposed Hawaii Superferry for interisland transport of invasive species.

The National Park Service (NPS) does not oppose the
Superferry project per se, but would like to see provision for full mitigation of the impacts of increased risk for transport of invasive species.

Unfortunately, this will not be easy.

It is widely realized that current measures by Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) to prevent interisland movement of pest species are inadequate and that major improvements are needed.

Some current special concerns for interisland transport relevant to Haleakala National Park include little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), nettle caterpillar
(Darnap pallivitta), glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homolodisca coagulata), Himalayan raspberry (Rubus ellipticus), Malabar melastome (Melastoma candidum)
and fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum). These are just a few of many species already present on other islands that NPS is concerned about.

Having been engaged for more than a decade in efforts to get quarantine improvements made at Maui’s Kahului airport, NPS is very much aware of the inadequacy of international, national, and interisland rules and inspections.

An important consideration that must be addressed is for future needs.

For example, if red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) and the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), the most damaging pests likely to reach Hawaii
in the very near future, were to get a foothold on one island, both species could readily move statewide with vehicular traffic on the ferry.

That the fire ant builds nests within vehicles and is transported in vehicles is well known. The same is the case for brown tree snakes. It is certainly true the Superferry would not be the only means of transport for such interisland invasions via vehicles. The point is that the Superferry would increase vehicular transport and that all forms of both trans-Pacific and interisland transportation are in serious need of better
measures for prevention of transport of invasive species.

Because the Superferry may have serious impacts to Haleakala National Park and numerous endangered species, the National Park Service requests that an Environmental Impact Statement be prepared
for this project.

Sincerely,

Donald W. Reeser
Superintendent
808-572-4401