Norman Sullivan of Honolulu asks:

"What if there was a local movement to provide native seeds and plantings of native species to give to hikers that go places even mountain goats think twice about? I have a friend who goes hiking everywhere, literally, and thought this might be a way to spread the native plants and trees."

It's a good idea, but one that requires coordination, said Randy Kennedy, manager of the state's Natural Area Reserves Program.

The seedlings need to be healthy ones, so they don't risk carrying disease into the back country. Plants should be carried into areas where they historically grew, to ensure they're in an environment in which they will thrive and won't threaten other native species of the region.

There might also be a need for training in handling of the seedlings.

"To put them randomly out, they're probably going to die," Kennedy said.

That said, government is increasingly trying to involve the public in the management of natural resources. One measure: The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, through its Division of Forestry and Wildlife, is offering grants (of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service money) to private landowners to protect plants and wildlife that are on private land.

The Landowner Incentive Program backs work on the ground, rather than planning, and covers such things as planting native vegetation to restore natural communities and reintroducing species that may be gone from a specific environment. Other projects can include fencing to keep out animals that endanger native plants and removal of alien species.

The program covers 75 percent of the cost of the work, as long as the landowner contributes the rest in the form of cash, labor or materials.

One feature some landowners object to is that they must agree to allow biologists access to the land to measure whether the program is accomplishing what was intended.

The importance of endangered species work on both public and private land is clear from the numbers. There are 378 species listed as threatened or endangered in the Islands, and another 127 species proposed for listing. Most are in the state's undeveloped lands in the state's conservation district, which includes 60 percent of all the land in the Islands. Half of that amount is in private ownership — an indication of the importance of nongovernmental involvement in conservation.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.