▁work ▁on ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁Robinson ▁has ▁been ▁cred ited ▁for ▁keeping ▁numerous ▁Hawai ian ▁plants ▁from ▁becoming ▁ext inct , ▁including ▁Cy ane a ▁p inn atif ida , ▁which ▁is ▁considered ▁ext inct ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁activities ▁Robinson ▁has ▁repeatedly ▁expressed ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁keep ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁environment ▁and ▁trad itions ▁of ▁its ▁ 1 5 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 ▁native ▁Hawai ian ▁inhabitants , ▁and ▁has ▁occasionally ▁taken ▁large ▁financial ▁losses ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁As ▁under ▁their ▁prede cess ors , ▁the ▁Rob ins ons ▁have ▁kept ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁largely ▁closed ▁to ▁outside ▁visitors , ▁though ▁a ▁few ▁hun ters ▁and ▁other ▁tour ists ▁are ▁admitted ▁each ▁year — but ▁with ▁limited ▁or ▁no ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁island ers . ▁The ▁Rob ins ons ▁continue ▁to ▁ban ▁rad ios , ▁televis ions ▁and ▁mobile ▁ph ones ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁preserve ▁as ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁island ▁culture ▁as ▁possible . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Robinson ▁estimated ▁that ▁between ▁$ 8 – 9 ▁million ▁was ▁spent ▁to ▁keep ▁people ▁employed , ▁not ▁counting ▁the ▁free ▁housing ▁and ▁free ▁meat ▁provided ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 5 0 – 2 0 0 ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁island ers . ▁After ▁ 1 3 5 ▁years ▁of ▁operation , ▁the ▁ran ch ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁shut ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ,