HAWAII
James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge

James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is the premier recovery area on O’ahu for four of Hawaii's endemic water birds: the Hawaiian Coot (‘Alae ke‘oke‘o), the Hawaiian Duck (Koloa), Hawaiian Stilt (‘Ae‘o) and the Hawaiian Moorhen (‘Alae‘ula). All four birds are listed as endangered species due to their precipitous decline in the 20th century.

LWCF funding protected the largest natural coastal wetland and the last remaining coastal dune system on O’ahu from threats of development, invasive weed infestations, and predation of native waterbirds by non-native feral animals. Additionally, heavy floods occur frequently in this area, devastating residences in the adjacent town of Kahuku. The future costs of flood disasters can be reduced when rivers are reconnected to floodplains, and structures, including homes, are moved out of harms way. Because of the location and natural function of this flood plain this project served as one of the crucial components for the proposed Kahuku flood control project. With the support of LWCF funding, the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, local community organizations, conservation organizations, and the landowner worked together to protect and expand this essential wetland habitat.