23 Oahu species listed as endangered, threatened

HONOLULU (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is newly classifying 23 Oahu plants and flies as endangered or threatened.

The agency announced its decision in the Federal Register on Tuesday.

The move brings the number of Hawaii species listed as endangered or threatened to 460.

The agency is also designating nearly 67 square miles on Oahu as their critical habitat. Most of the land is already critical habitat for other species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is starting to take a holistic approach to conservation by restoring ecosystems to protect the species that live in them.

The agency has also used this new strategy on Kauai.

Before, the service tried to protect endangered and threatened species by adopting separate plans to revive habitats. This led to disjointed and overlapping efforts.