Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, May 23, 2019

Operators of Pakini Nui Wind Farm at South Point plan to contribute to the protection of Hawaiian petrels nesting
within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, as part of windmill Habitat Conservation Plan.
Photo by Geoffrey Jones/ Smithsonian Magazine

WINDMILLS AND ENDANGERED FLYING SPECIES were the focus of a public meeting held by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tonight at Nāʻālehu Community Center.
     Representatives of Fish & Wildlife explained the effort on the part of windmill operators at South Point, and on Maui and Oʻahu, to minimize risk to ʻōpeʻapeʻa, the Hawaiian hoary bat; nēnē, the Hawaiian goose; and ʻuaʻumu, the Hawaiian petrel. They also asked for public comment, which is due June 10.
     The windmill operators are applying for a permit, which requires approval by Fish & Wildlife to continue to operate. The permit proposals estimate possible harm to the endangered species and ways to mitigate and offset it. The federal government will decide whether to approve the plans, to approve them with additional requirements, or to deny them. No opposition to the windmills was heard at the meeting.

A new nēnē breeding area would be assisted through a
contribution from Pakini Nui Wind Farm at South Point.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Operators of Pakini Nui Wind Farm at South Point seek a 20-year permit and offer to minimize risk to the birds and bats by turning off the turbines when wind speed is low. They also propose to offset any incidental, unintentional harm with three programs described in a Habitat Conservation Plan - a voluntary agreement between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the landowner (Kamehameha Schools), and the wind farm operator.
     One program would work with the state Department of Forestry & Wildlife to construct a new seven-acre predator proof nēnē breeding area on this island. Another would assist with management of a petrel colony, with fencing, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. A third would assist with invasive plant removal and native plants and forest restoration in the Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National park in order to increase habitat for the hoary bat.

     Pakini Nui Wind Farm, owned by Tawhiri Power LLC, is a 21-megawatt energy facility that started operating April 3, 2007. Pakini Nui operates 14 General Electric 1.5-MW SE turbines and provides almost all of the energy it produces to Hawaiʻi Electric Light Co.
     When windmills were first operated on the very windy South Point lands, it was unknown whether there would be an impact on endangered species, explained the Fish & Wildlife representatives at the Nāʻālehu meeting.

Hawaiian hoary bats live alone in the forest and are
found around South Point. Photo from Bishop Museum

     Hoary bats live alone in trees, rather than caves, and are often seen in native forests. During recent years, Pakini windmill operators conducted studies documenting the presence of the hoary bat, nēnē, and petrel, and their interactions with the windmills. They estimated the possible dangers, using desktop-based risk assessments and avian field surveys.
     The plans offered by the windmill companies are evaluated, using the Endangered Species Act concept of the word "take." Fish & Wildlife representatives explained "take" means to harass and harm, pursue, hunt and shoot, wound, or kill the endangered species. The number of unintentional, incidental takes allowed are authorized in the permit, along with mitigating and offsetting measures.

     Fish & Wildlife reported that mitigation measures were developed with the intention of providing a net ecological benefit to the species in alignment with state and federal recovery goals.

     Pakini Nui is requesting "authorized incidental take" amounts of 26 per year for the ʻōpeʻapeʻa bat; three for the ʻuaʻu petrel; and three for the nēnē. Pakini Nui's projections show "no other listed, proposed, or candidate species have been found or are known or expected to be present in the Project Area, with the exception of the federally and state-listed band-rumped storm-petrel," which is in such small numbers on Hawaiʻi Island, it is not projected to be affected.

South Point wind farm, Pakini Nui, sells almost all the power it produces to Hawaiʻi Electric Light. Photo by Peter Anderson

     The Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Pakini Nui is available to read and make comment online at fws.gov/pacificislands. Public comment is open through Monday, June 10. To request additional information or submit written comments (must be sent or postmarked by June 10): email, HIwindPEIS@fws.gov. Fax, 808–792–9580, Attn: Field Supervisor. Mail the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3–122, Honolulu, HI, 96850. In correspondence, include Wind Energy HCPs and PEIS and reference FWS–R1–ES–2019–N032 in the subject line of your request, message, or comment. All comments and materials received become part of the public record. Fish & Wildlife advises that the entire comment – including personal identifying information – might be made publicly available at any time.

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KĪLAUEA'S MAUNA ULU ERUPTED 50 YEARS AGO. Volcano Watch commemorates the event with a look back at the five-year eruption. It is written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Carolyn Parcheta:

     May 24, 2019, is a notable date in Kīlauea Volcano's history. It is the one-year anniversary of several key events in the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, most notably, the reactivation of fissure 8 with intermittent spattering while fissures 7 and 21 were producing two ‘a‘ā flows. It is also the 50th anniversary of another important event on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone: the start of the 1969‒1974 Mauna Ulu eruption. 

This fountain was about 540 m (1770 ft) tall on Sept. 6, 1969. The tephra cone,
 eventually named Mauna Ulu, can be seen in the fallout area (right of the fountains,
 (middle of image). It is now a 121 m (397 ft) tall lava shield in Hawaiʻi
Volcanoes National Park. In the foreground, lava cascades into ‘Ālo‘i crater, 
where it began to spread across the crater floor. USGS photo by D. Swanson

     Fifty years ago, on May 24, 1969, the opening fissure of the Mauna Ulu eruption broke ground where Kīlauea's east rift and the Koa‘e fault zone intersect. This fissure behaved similarly to fissures 17, 20, and 22 of the 2018 eruption with 30-meter- (100-foot-) tall lava fountains emerging from a linear crack. This style of eruption is classic to Hawaiʻi and is called "Hawaiian fountaining" in volcanology textbooks around the world.

     At Mauna Ulu, the fissure system stretched 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) from east to west, and cut straight through ‘Ālo‘i and Ala‘e pit craters within the Park. The fountains were confined to two main areas: one between the two pit craters and the other west of ‘Ālo‘i crater. ‘Ālo‘i crater filled with 25 meters (82 feet) of lava, which then drained back into a drowned fissure vent on the crater floor, even though lava was coming out of the ground on either side of the pit crater.

     On the first day of the Mauna Ulu eruption, the western fountaining zone erupted for 18 hours. The eastern zone erupted for 36 hours, but not much is known about that activity because the Chain of Craters road was cut by the western fountains, making the eastern fountains visible only in the far distance.

     The five-year-long Mauna Ulu eruption was preceded by a series of East Rift Zone fissure eruptions that occurred in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 (2), 1965 (2), 1968 (2), and February 1969, each lasting between 1 and 15 days. At the time, there was no way to know that the eruptive activity that began on May 24, 1969, was the start of something bigger. In fact, at only 36 hours long, it seemed rather insignificant.

     The episode 1 fissure produced spatter in linear ramparts several meters (yards) high on the north (upslope) side of the fissures. Ramparts did not generally form on the south side of the fissures because the spatter was rafted away on lava as it flowed downslope.

     Ultimately, this brief fissure was the first of 12 lava fountaining episodes during the early Mauna Ulu eruption that continued through December 31, 1969. Beginning with episode 2, activity was localized to only the eastern fountaining zone. The vent would often have dual fountains, which erupted side-by-side, occasionally with both the same height, ranging from several tens to several hundred meters (yards) high. 

Red dashed line delineates the May 24-25, 1969, fissure of the Mauna Ulu eruption. Pink denotes the lava flow field 

produced by this episode 1 activity. Black lines show the extent of the flow field at the end of the Mauna Ulu 

eruption in July 1974. A dashed black line indicates sections of the original Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park 

Chain of Craters Road that were covered by Mauna Ulu lava. Map source: USGS Professional Paper 1056

     The lava fountains eventually built a tephra cone 50 m (150 ft) tall. This cone, made of scoria, pumice, and yellow-gold reticulate, was named Mauna Ulu, growing mountain. It was later covered in 70 m (230 ft) of lava and is a prominent landmark still visible from the Chain of Craters Road in the Park.

     In January 1970, the Mauna Ulu eruption became effusive, producing lava flows that traveled south through the national park, and ultimately reached the ocean. A lava lake formed within the tephra cone, allowing HVO researchers to document and understand gas pistoning behavior. Lava also filled in ‘Ālo‘i and Ala‘e pit craters.

     After a 3.5 month pause – October 1971 to February 1972 – eruptive activity resumed for two more years, until July 1974, when the eruption finally ended.

     This eruption produced invaluable scientific advancements in volcano science, including an improved scientific understanding of how pāhoehoe and ‘a‘ā form. Mauna Ulu provided the first detailed observations of pillow lava forming underwater – filmed by brave divers. The development of large lava flow fields, the formation of lava tubes, and the origin of tree molds were also documented.

     Indeed, May 24 marks an important anniversary: The Mauna Ulu eruption was the largest, most voluminous, and best documented eruption recorded at Kīlauea in the 20th century, until 1983, when the next long-lived eruption began.

Mauna Ulu, right. NPS photo

Volcano Activity Updates

     Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL. HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity. For definitions of USGS Volcano Alert Levels, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html.

     At Kῑlauea, rates of deformation, gas release, and seismicity have not changed significantly over the past week. Since early March, tiltmeters at the summit have recorded modest inflationary tilt. During the same time period, a GPS station within the 2018 collapse area has recorded approximately 5 cm (3 in) of uplift. On Kīlauea's East Rift Zone, GPS stations and tiltmeters continue to show motions consistent with refilling of the deep magmatic reservoir in the broad region between Puʻu ʻŌʻō and Highway 130. This trend has been observed since the end of the 2018 eruption.

     Sulfur dioxide emission rates on Kīlauea's ERZ and summit remain low. Gas measurements have not indicated that large volumes of magma have become significantly shallow, but HVO continues to closely monitor gas emissions at both the summit and ERZ of Kīlauea for any changes.

     One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-3.0 quake 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Volcano Village at 6 km (4 mi) depth on May 19 at 4:15 p.m.

     Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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FRIDAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR THE BOGO BOOKFAIR at Nāʻālehu Elementary at the school library until 2:30 p.m. Librarian Linda Morgan offers the buy-one-get-one free sale as incentive to get books into the hands of students for summer reading.  Instead of students bringing cash to school, families can opt to set up an ewallet for their student to purchase books. The ewallet allows an adult to set a purchase limit and only items that are actually purchased will be charged to the account. Check out scholastic.com/bf/naalehuelementaryschool for more information. The public is invited to the book fair, but asked to check in the office during school hours.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

JUST ANNOUNCED

SMALL AGRICULTURE BUSINESS WORKSHOP to promote Native Hawaiian entrepreneurship happens Friday, June 7, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Hilo at Komohana Research and Extension Center, Conf. Rm. D202, 875 Komohana Street. Organized by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Mana Ka Lāhui, Empower the People, presenters include Megan Blazak of The Kohala Center, and Kierstan Akahoshi of University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources. RSVP and questions, contact Kamaile Puluole-Mitchell at 808-933-3106 or kamallep@oha.org.

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UPCOMING

FRIDAY, MAY 24

Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association's 21st annual Rural Health Conference and General Membership Meeting happens Friday, May 24, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center. The meeting features youth achievements recognition and community resource networks, and offers free health screenings, informational booths, food exhibits, and door prizes.

     Special guests are Dr. Neal Palafox, MD, MPH Professor; University of Hawaiʻi; John A. Burns School of Medicine; and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. A focus of the event will be embracing and understanding the cultural transition of Marshallese.

     To be a vendor at the event, call the Resource and Distance Learning Center at 928-0101. See krhcai.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 25

15th Annual Celebration of Life Lantern Floating, Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Reed's Bay, Hilo, same day Pre-Event, 1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m., Ka‘ū Hospital, Pāhala. Pre-event features motorcycle and classic car community riding in procession to the hospital to meet and greet patients, staff and Ka‘ū Community before riding to main event. Celebration of life bracelet available online, $10 donation, limited supply. Public welcome to both events. Benefits Hawai‘i Care Choices. 969-1733, hawaiicarechoices.org

Support Ka‘ū Coast Stewardship by attending the Of Water Hawai`i International Music Festival classical piano and opera concert at Pāhala Plantation House on Saturday, May 25, at 6 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are $25, donations for stewardship are welcome. See more, below.

SUNDAY, MAY 26

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Public Update on Senior Housing happens Sunday, May 26, 4 p.m. okaukakou.org

MONDAY, MAY 27
Memorial Day Ceremony, Monday, May 27, 3 p.m., Front Lawn, Kīlauea Military Camp. Keynote speaker: Lt. Col. Loreto Borce, Jr., Commander of Pohakuloa Training Area. Open to public. In case of rain ceremony will be moved indoors. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Memorial Day Buffet, Monday, May 27, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp. BBQ Pork Ribs, Local Styles Fried Chicken, Smoked Vegetable Kabobs, salads and more. $20.95/Adults, $11.95/Child (ages 6-11). No reservations required. Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

TUESDAY, MAY 28
HOVE Road Maintenance Board Mtg., Tuesday, May 28, 10 a.m., HOVE Road Maintenance office. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday, May 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

After Dark in the Park – Hawai‘i's Landfill Crisis: From Hopeless to Hopeful, Tuesday, May 28, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Special guest speakers Lori Kahikina, P.E. Director, Department of Environmental Services and Jim Howe, Emergency Services Director present sobering look at Hawaiʻi’s future and a call to action that provides hope while separating myth from reality. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wednesday, May 29 – last Wednesday, monthly – 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years and older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i – referral required, 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

THURSDAY, MAY 30
Summer Keiki Learn-to-Swim Registration, Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Pāhala Swimming Pool, Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary School Campus. $15 per session; cash or check accepted. Payable to County Director of Finance. 928-8177, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-aquatics

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, May 30, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

ONGOING

Summer Programs for Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary registrations are open. Uplink All-Stars on Friday, June 7 through Friday, June 28 for students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 21, Algebra camp is also open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

     For high school students, Early College runs from Wednesday, June 12 through Thursday, July 11.

     All three programs require registration by calling 313-4100.

     Open to all people under age 18, no registration required, the Seamless Summer Program offers free breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and free lunch from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., on weekdays in the school cafeteria.

Exhibit – Hulihia, A Complete Change: The Hawai‘i Nei Invitational Exhibition,  runs through June 16, daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Multi-media exhibition of seven artists. Free; National Park entrance fees may apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Full-Time Teaching Assistant Sought by Tūtū & Me to implement curriculum for caregivers and keiki in Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Kaʻū. Competitive salary and benefits package, including medical, dental, drug, and vision; flexible spending plan; 403b retirement plan; vacation, sick days, and 14 paid days off; and more.

     Minimum requirement is a high school diploma. Early Childhood Education, related coursework, and/or experience working children preferred. For more, visit pidf.org/about/careers. Apply by emailing resume and cover letter to hr@pidfoundation.org or fax to 808-440-6619.

Hi-Employment Seeks Student Employees to work in a macadamia nut orchard on weekends and holidays. Duties include hand-harvesting macadamia nuts, filling and transporting nut bag and buckets, loading 25-plus pound bags into truck beds, and possible clearing of brush and branches. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, have a work permit, two forms of ID, and transportation to "Panaʻewa Stretch." Call for more details, 238-3741, hi-employment.com.

Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade happens Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. The parade route begins at the Nāʻālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nāʻālehu Hongwanji Mission. To participate, call Debra McIntosh, 929-9872.

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A CONCERT TO RAISE MONEY FOR STEWARDSHIP OF THE KAʻŪ COAST will be held on Saturday, May 25, 6 p.m. at Pāhala Plantation House on the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets. The concert is one in a series of performances during the Hawaiʻi International Music Festival, in its third season in the islands. The series is called Of Water.

Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy
Shoremount-Obra. HIMF photo

2018 International Bach Competition
Prize Winning Pianist Andrew Rosenblum.
HIMF photo

     The recital features internationally acclaimed artists Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra and 2018 International Bach Competition Prize Winning Pianist Andrew Rosenblum. They will perform works by Turina, Mahler, Fauré, Rachmaninoff, Duke, and more.
     Donations accepted at the event go to Kaʻū Coast non-profit stewardship organizations, including Nā Mamo O Kāwā, nmok.org; Ka ʻOhana O Honuʻapo, honuapopark.org; Ala Kahakai Trail Association, alakahakaitrail.org; Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, wildhawaii.org; and Hoʻomalu Kaʻū, hoomalukau@gmail.com.
     In addition to the opportunity to donate to coastal stewardships, an opportunity to support Hawaiʻi International Music Festival is available by reserving best seats for $25 each. They are available at recitalpahala.bpt.me and at the door – cash or check only. See the concert schedule for other islands at himusicfestival.com. For overnight accommodations, contact Pāhala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811.
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