Judge shoots down hunters, State on efforts to keep sheep on Mauna Kea
- Author:
-
Tummons, Patricia
- Title:
- Judge shoots down hunters, State on efforts to keep sheep on Mauna Kea
- Periodical:
- Environment Hawaii
- Year:
- 1999
- Volume:
- 10
- Pages:
- 7+
- Subject:
-
Sheep Mauna Kea
Palila
Mamane
Gorse
- Summary:
- U.S. District Judge Samuel P. King denied the request of hunters and the state of Hawaii to stop the court-ordered eradication of sheep from an area of Mauna Kea, on the island of Hawaii, that is critical habitat for the endangered palila (Loxiodes bailleui). Judge King felt that maintaining a heard of at least 200 sheep and allowing them to share in the destruction of the palila habitat was not the best defense against fire in order to save the palila from extinction. He also felt that retaining sheep on Mauna Kea would not control the spread of gorse, a thorny shrub that covers hundreds of acres on Mauna Kea, as requested by then-U.S. Representative, Patsy Mink, since the remnant herd, of approximately 150 sheep, was insufficient to control the spread of the shrub. Judge King also felt that while sheep could someday be returned to Mauna Kea, that once extinct, the Palila would be gone forever.
- Label:
- Animals - Sheep
- Date:
- 1999
- Collection:
- Periodicals