Endangered Species Recovery Committee

Endangered Species Recovery Committee

An image of an ʻakikiki

The Endangered Species Recovery Committee (ESRC) consists of seven members, two of whom are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate.  The remaining members are the Chairperson of the State Board of Land and Natural Resources, the ecoregion Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the United States Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division, the Dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Natural Sciences, and a person possessing a background in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices.  The purpose of the ESRC is to serve as a consultant to the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Department on matters relating to endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species.

The composition and duties of the committee are described in Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, Chapter 195D-25. The current membership includes the individuals below.

ESRC Current Nongovernmental At-large Members and term length pursuant to HRS §195D-25:

  • Lisa Spain, first term 2017-2021, second term 2021-2025
  • Dr. Kawika Winter, first term 2018-2022, second term 2023-2027
  • Dr. Loyal Mehrhoff, first term 2015-2019, second term 2020-2023

ESRC Members designated pursuant to HRS §195D-25:

  • David Smith, Division of Forestry and Wildlife
    • Designee for Dawn Chang, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources
  • Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    • Designee for Earl Campbell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office 
  • Dr. Robert Reed, U.S. Geological Survey
    • Primary Designee for U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
  • Dr. Melissa Price, University of Hawaiʻi Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
    • Designee for the Dr. Aloysius Helminck, Dean of the University of Hawaiʻi College of Natural Sciences

More Information on the ESRC: