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B-118307 1 (1979-02-06)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabjmg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 B-118307 February 6, 1979 CED9-119 Mr. Elvis J. Stahr President, National Audubon Society 950 Third Avenue New York-ew York 10022 Dear Your letter of January 11, 1979, stated that our report of November 1, 1978, to the Secretary of the Interior - n (CED-79-6) contained numerous inaccuracies that seriously weakened our findings. Following receipt of your letter, we reviewed the information used to support our re-commendation that Interior discontinue[acquisition of.Kealia I on the Island of aui, Hawaii _nd examined the limited new data provided in yofUrl-et-t-r. Our position remains unchanged. We agree that Kealia Pond should remain a wildlife refuge. This is reflected in our recommendation that the Secretary monitor State and county actions to assure that they are compatible with a waterbird haoitat. We do npt agree, however, that actual and planned development in the pond area constitute serious threats to the survival of the coot and the stilt, necessitating Federal acquisition through condemnation. As pointed out in our report, data in the recovery plan approved by the Director of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) show that the coot has already surpassed its population objective and that the stilt population is well on the way to recovery without the acquisition of Kealia Pond. (See p. 9 of enclosure for discussion of population objectives.) Our report also shows that State-owned Kanaha Pond is the primary nesting and feeding habitat for both the coot and the stilt, that Kealia Pond is within a zoned conser-- vation district, and that both ponds have been designated by the State as wildlife sanctuaries. (See pp. 1 to 5 of enclosure for responses to specific points relating to the current status of the two ponds.) 00357(