U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced a proposal to add 48 species found only on the island of Kaua'i to the federal endangered species list.

The announcement to protect 45 plants, two birds and one insect came in a 9 a.m. conference call with Interior and U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials.

The proposal is the first time the agencies have applied a newly developed, ecosystem-based approach to species conservation, they said.

The approach may be used in the future on O'ahu, in the Arctic and in great river basins of the Southeastern mainland.

"By addressing the common threats that occur across these ecosystems, we can more effectively focus our conservation efforts on restoring the functions of these shared habitats," Kempthorne said in a prepared statement. "This holistic approach will benefit the recovery of the listed species and also all the species within the native ecological community."

The American Bird Conservancy praised the action as "an important victory for the (bird species) 'akikiki and 'akeke'e, which need every bit of help that they can get. Recent population surveys indicate that these species are on the brink of extinction," said George Fenwick, the conservation group's president.

American Bird Conservancy and Hawaiian bird expert Eric VanderWerf had petitioned the agency requesting protection under the Endangered Species Act for the two very rare birds. There are estimated to be fewer than 1,400 'akikiki and fewer than 3,500 'akeke'e in 2007. The populations of both birds dropped drastically since 2000, the group says.

One species of Hawaiian picture-wing fly and 45 plants are included in the announcement.

"Kaua'i, the oldest island of the main Hawaiian Islands, has been called a 'treasure trove of biodiversity' and is believed to house the greatest diversity of plants in the state," said Patrick Leonard, Fish & Wildlife Service field supervisor for the Pacific Islands. "Therefore, it is appropriate that we begin this new approach to listing species and designating critical habitat in Kaua'i."

Copies of the proposed rule will be posted on the service's Web site at www.fws.gov/pacificislands and published in the Federal Register in the near future.