Kaʻū News Briefs Friday, Nov. 18, 2016

 Protection of Hawksbill sea turtle nests, archaeological and cultural sites, caves, ponds
and other features will be planned along with providing public access to the lands
 newly acquired by HawaiʻiCounty at Kahuku makai. Photo from County of Hawaiʻi

PLANNING FOR KAHUKU MAKAI LANDS CONSERVATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS begins. An onsite meeting will be held in December with representatives of new owner County of Hawaiʻi and other partners to research and discuss managing the future of the 3,128 acres with more than a mile of Kaʻū Coast. It is located along the Road to the Sea, makai of Ocean View. It includes the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail and the massive Kanohina Flow from a Mauna Loa eruption.

Planning to protect the endangered Hawksbill sea
turtle hatchlings while providing public access to
the public lands makai of Ocean View will be studied
as the county makes its plan.
Photo by Jay Robinson

       It is the County’s largest acquisition to date using its Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund - the “Two Percent” income from property taxes for conserving special properties. With cooperative funding from federal, state, county and private donors, more than 4,000 acres along the Kaʻū Coast have been purchased for preservation since 2006. 

     Trust for Public Land helped with negotiations for most of the properties and nominated the Kahuku makai lands to the county Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission. The County put in $764,745 toward the purchase. The balance of the $2.6 million was funded through a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Recovery Land Acquisition Grant and state Legacy Land Conservation money.
       The County plans to work with stakeholders in the community to come up with a management plan not only for the care of the land, its shoreline with Hawksbill sea turtle nesting sites, its anchialine ponds, geologic features, cave network and archaeological and cultural sites. The management team and community will come up with a plan to locate and steward public access for fishing, hiking and other recreational uses. Access will include the unpaved, high-clearance, four-wheel drive Road to the Sea, which extends to the ocean, bordering the property.

        Comments coming into The Kaʻū Calendar Facebook page have supported the purchase: Jamie Sing Kawauchi wrote: “Mahalo nui loa to Deborah Ward, Tanya Masaniai Ibarra, many other Kaʻū communities members, islandwide supporters from beyond our boundaries, Hawaiʻi County Property Management team, Kamana Ventura and Alexandra Kelepolo and the Mayor, for all their kokua in making this happen!!!”

Wall of a lava canyon running mauka to makai on the
Kahuku property. Photo by Ann Bosted

      Some wrote with concerns about public access. Jeff Purser commented: “My point is the use of the term ‘public access’ is misleading. If it is going to be restricted access, then say so. If the state and county are going to be stewards of the land and resources then they have a responsibility to take whatever measures necessary to do that. If ‘protection’ is the top priority, then block all access without special permits or make reasonable access available to everyone, including senior citizens with passenger vehicles. I’ve seen the effects of limiting access in coastal areas to four-wheel drive vehicles and the segment of the population using those vehicles can be pretty messy and destructive, too. Public money has been used to acquire the property and the public, all of the public, have the right to enjoy the benefits of that expenditure. It won’t happen, but it should.” 

     Keoni Fox replied: “If the road is improved, how do we mitigate the impacts of increased use on cultural and natural resources? Dumping of trash and abandoned vehicles is already an issue.”
   See more at Kaʻū News Briefs Nov. 15 edition. 

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U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO IS AUDITING PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S MOVES as he makes plans toward keeping his campaign promises and selecting his cabinet and advisors. Yesterday, Hirono denounced a Trump surrogate’s suggestion that Japanese American internment during World War II set a precedent for establishing a Muslim registry to help find terrorists in today’s America.

Sen. Mazie Hirono condemns Japanese American internment
in World War II and opposes the idea that it set a precedent
for keeping a watch list of American Muslims today.
Above she unveils the new museum in Honolulu honoring
Japanese American WW II veterans.
Photo from the office of Sen. Mazie Hirono

     Said Hirono, “The internment that  Japanese-Americans during World War II was a historic injustice and nothing like it should ever happen again. The protection of our Constitution is not conditional; it applies to all of us. We cannot allow hate speech, racism, and anti-immigrant sentiment to become the new norm in our country, and we must continue to speak out against hate and prejudice. An inclusive and vibrant America is worth fighting for.” The reference to Japanese internment came from Trump advisor Carl Higbie, a former Navy SEAL who was spokesman for the pro-Trump Great America PAC.

     In October, Hirono unveiled a new exhibit on Oʻahu honoring Japanese American World War II veterans, saying, “millions of people who pass through Honolulu International Airport each year will have the opportunity to learn more about the heroism and service of Japanese American World War II veterans, who bravely fought for the United States even as their loyalty was questioned at home.” In 2010, Hirono championed successful legislation to award Japanese American World War II veterans the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. These men included Kaʻū 442nd veteran Iwao Yonemitsu, of Na‘alehu.

     Earlier this week, Hirono called on Trump to fire one of his chief strategists, the chair of Breitbart News, Steve Bannon. Said Hirono, “What Steve Bannon believes is not a mystery. He has demeaned women, advocated for white supremacy, and promoted anti-Semitism. In addition to saying that immigrants spread disease, (on his website Breitbart.com) he  has advocated a religious test for immigration. As an immigrant and a religious minority, this isn’t a test that I would have passed. Quite frankly, it’s sad that we are having a debate about whether a white supremacist should serve as a senior counselor to the President-elect,” stated Hirono. 

      Hirono is the only immigrant and only woman of color serving in the U.S. Senate. To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

FINAL VOTING AT THE BEAUTY OF KAʻŪ ART SHOW takes place today at Naʻalehu Hongwanji. The popular vote determines the cover for The Directory, the 2017 Kaʻū Chamber of Commerce business and community resource guide. Keiki and Youth can still enter art through this afternoon. The kids can use the coloring table here to make a picture to enter or they can bring something from home as long as it was done this year. Vote until 6 p.m.

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY begins today, Friday, Nov. 18 and runs through New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily, at  Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The holiday event kicks off with a members-only reception, 5:30 p.m., opening day. Featured at Christmas in the Country is the 17th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, with prizes awarded for the best wreaths. To participate, contact Emily Weiss at 967-8222 or gallery@volcanoartcenter.org. Free; park entrance fees apply.

HORN OF PLENTY, today, Friday, Nov. 18, from 1 – 2 p.m., Kahuku County Park. Children ages 6 – 12 can enjoy arts & crafts at the park. Registration closes Thursday, Nov. 17. Call the Kahuku County Park at 929-9113.

THE FIRST OFFICIAL SPORTS TOURNAMENT IN THE NEW KAʻŪ GYM begins today at 5:15 p.m. and continues tomorrow is at least one can of food. The food drive is an annual event for the Kaʻū High School girls basketball team. The tournament is an invitational with visiting teams from Keaʻau, Pahoa and Kealakehe. Big Island Interscholastic Federation competition begins at the gym in December.

HIʻIAKA & PELE, Saturday, Nov. 19 from  9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The famous myth of the volcano goddess Pele and her companion Hiʻiaka is the focus of this free, moderate, one-mile walk. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena that reveal their story on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

FOOTAGE OF THE ʻALALA, endangered Hawaiian crows recently release from captivity into the forest near Volcano, will be shown on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo with a celebration for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CENTENNIAL WALK: ‘Ōhi‘a Wing – Our New Museum, Saturday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National.Following up on her After Dark in the Park talk on Tuesday, Nov. 15, Chief of Cultural Resources Laura Carter Schuster is leading an easy walk from Kīlauea Visitor Center to the park’s new museum site. She’ll reveal the history and highlights of the park’s original 1932 park Administration Building and share exhibit plans that will highlight the park’s museum collection

RAINFOREST MELE, Sat, Nov 19, 4:30 and  7:30 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Funk band Bump City Hawaiʻi performs in the tradition of Tower of Power, Average White Band, James Brown and more. 967-8222

MONGOLIAN BBQ, Sat, Nov 19 from 5p.m. to 8 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The cost is only $.85 per ounce for a self-cooked Mongolian BBQ plate dinner with your choice of protein, veggies, rice & beverage. Open to all authorized patrons & sponsored guests. 967-8356

PEOPLE & LANDS OF KAHUKU, Sun, Nov 20, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. Learn about emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields, and other sites that today hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. nps.gov/havo


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