 |
| Cattle pasture in Kaʻū, where ranchers and farmers are concerned over water use permits. Photo by Julia Neal |
 |
| An old Kaʻū sugar plantation waterway. Photo by Lee Neal |
The Sierra Club and Hawaiʻi Farmers
Union United and several other groups oppose the extension of permits for existing water users, focusing on large
tracts of former sugar land on Maui , where courts ordered the return of water to their natural flows, away from the old plantation irrigation systems. The water would go back to the streams where it nourished wildlife
and plantings along the natural waterways, including taro and other food crops
centuries ago.
Swept up in the issue are the small
ranchers and farmers in Kaʻū who say they fear they will lose access to water for
livestock, orchards and food crops. Most of their water comes from manmade
horizontal wells, dug into the side of Mauna Loa more than a century ago by the
sugar companies. The development of agricultural water in Kaʻū was far different from the diversion of streams on Maui.
However, afraid of losing ag water, supporters of the extension of
existing water permits include John Cross of Kaʻū Soil & Water Conservation
District, who submitted testimony saying that revocable permit holders in the Kaʻū Agricultural
Water Cooperative District have worked toward long term water leases since
2007. They have "invested vast amounts of money to improve the systems and
tunnels" built by the old sugar companies. "The water from these
sources support macadamia nut orchards, cattle ranching, coffee cultivation,
and a growing expansion of vegetables and produce… food for the community and
state of Hawaiʻi. The lands of the Kaʻū District are bountiful, but only so
with water." He asked for more time to work out the long term leases.
 |
| Macadamia nut orchards rely on irrigation. Photo from Hawaiʻi Islands Land Trust |
Michelle Galimba, member of the
state Board of Agriculture and Mountain House Agricultural Water Cooperative,
supports the bill to extend the permits. She noted that Mountain House Agricultural Water Co-op is
comprised of water users of the Mountain House overflow system in Kaʻū. They
include Kuahiwi Ranch, MJ/Andrade Ranch, Nāʻālehu Ranch, Aikane Coffee
Plantation, the Hanoa ranch, and the Johannsen ranch. "These ranchers and
farmers depend on the Mountain House Overflow agricultural water systems for
their livelihoods, to support their families, to provide food for local markets
and to continue to create employment in our rural community," wrote
Galimba.
"This is a complex issue with
far-reaching consequences, not just for water permits but for Department
of Land & Natural Resources permits as well. Coming up with a good
solution may well take time… I would ask that each of the stakeholders in this
discussion take the time to understand the other stakeholders in depth, rather
than to harden into factions and sides. This will be good practice for a future
in which water becomes an increasingly limited resource. I sincerely hope that
we can all work together to develop an appropriate policies as quickly as
possible."
 |
| Water from old sugar plantation sources has served Kaʻū for many generations. Photo from state Dept. of Ag |
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs,
Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and several groups and individuals testified that
large water user Alexander & Baldwin and subsidiary East Maui Irrigation
Company are unfairly benefiting from a public resource. They contended that
smaller water users will not be negatively impacted.
Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi testified that ranchers of Kaʻū and other small farmers with revocable permits
"should return to the permitting process they followed in 2015." They
would apply every year for month-to-month permits, "receiving a
categorical exemption from state environmental reviews, and paying a small fee.
Because these water users have not been sued for abusing water permits like
A&B was, they have no court-imposed prohibition on their water use."
Sierra Club also contended that the extension "does not protect public
trust resources from exploitation."
OHA testified that the smaller
ranchers and farmers' concerns "are based on a purely speculative
extension of a circuit court order specific only to A&B, and there is no
clear legal barrier to preventing the issuance of annual revocable permits to
any other entity." OHA stated that the extension would reward A&B and
the Board of Land & Natural Resources "for their failure to conduct an
environmental review of A&B's continuous and ongoing diversion of over 100
streams and tributaries on 17,000 acres of public watershed lands in East Maui,
12 years after one had been first ordered by the Circuit Court."
 |
| Tunnels to move water are maintained by Kaʻū farmers and ranchers. Photo from state Dept. of Ag |
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
testified with "serious concerns" over the extension, stating that
the agency should receive 30 percent of revenue generated by long-term water
leases.
Susan Campbell of Hawaiʻi Farmers
Union United and Food Security Hawaiʻi testified against the bill: "If
water rights are not held up for the public domain, then our Senators are
corrupt. This is actually outrageous."
HB
1326 HD2 goes before the Senate Committees on Water & Land and
Ways & Means at 10:35 a.m.
tomorrow morning. Read
the bill and testimony, and submit testimony. Testimony submitted less
than 24 hours before the hearing will be marked late but may be considered by
committee members.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story,
see Facebook. Follow us
on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our
latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ WILL CHAIR DEMOCRATIC SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON
CLIMATE CHANGE. He calls climate change the "crisis of our
generation." He said the purpose of the committee is to have in place
"a predicate for action if and when" Democrats regain control of the
Senate. Its formation comes a week after Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the
Senate floor and used placards to promote his claim that the Green New Deal
would end air travel. He showed a cartoon seahorse, Ronald Reagan using a
machine gun to take on a velociraptor, and Luke Skywalker riding a tauntaun. He
proclaimed the way to solve climate change was to let the next generation solve
it.
 |
| Sen. Brian Schatz. Photo from Schatz's Facebook |
Schatz took to the Senate floor in
response: "I get that we want to make jokes and we want to be clever and
we want to get clips to put on Facebook or Instagram or whatever, but that was
appalling. This is the crisis of our generation and it is not a joke."
The Green New Deal – which makes no
mention of air travel – was voted down in the Senate last week. During an
interview with MSNBC, Schatz said Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell, and other Republicans "are literally making fun of climate
action" which is problematic in light of recent flooding in the Midwest,
California wildfires increasing in severity, and increasing floods and storms
in costal regions. "This is serious business," and only one party is
taking it seriously, he said. "They are sort of outsmarting themselves.
They are very impressed with their own cleverness… But the truth is, we are
right on climate change."
Schatz said people from all
political backgrounds "want climate action," and that "young
people are decisively in favor of doing something about this planetary
crisis." He referred to "tens of thousands" of "young
people" who marched about climate change in the Capitol a few weeks ago.
"We in the Congress have to follow their lead, and take care of the
future."
 |
| Paʻaʻau Gulch during a 2018 storm. Photo by Julia Neal |
Schatz also sent a message to his
supporters: "For the past two years, Mitch McConnell and Congressional
Republicans have dragged our country from crisis to crisis. They have
championed the priorities of the richest people in this country and stood in
the way of policies that would help all of us.
"The only way to change this is to
win the Senate. That means we have to be ready to mobilize across the country
to make sure great Democrats win. We have to spread our message of progress,
and fight for the things that matter to us like affordable health care, climate
change, and education."
Schatz specified in a Tweet: "Doing
nothing about climate change is expensive and dangerous."
To read comments, add your own, and like this story,
see Facebook. Follow us
on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our
latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HAWAIʻI RANKS NINTH FOR RETURN OF TAX INVESTMENT in Health,
a recent WalletHub report states. Overall, return on tax investment in Hawaiʻi
ranked as the worst of all 50 states and Washington ,
D.C.
WalletHub's Taxpayer Survey reports
55 percent of U.S. adults
feel they pay too much in taxes and 90 percent don't think that the government
uses tax revenue wisely. Different states have dramatically different tax
burdens. This report seeks to find out if people in high-tax states receive
superior government services, and if low-tax states are more efficient or do
they receive low-quality services?
Percentage of Residents in Poverty
was where Hawaiʻi ranked the best, at 5th. The Aloha
State
Hawaiʻi ranked last in both Total
Taxes per Capita for those 18 and older, and Overall Return on Investment.
For the full report, visit wallethub.com/edu/state-taxpayer-roi-report/3283/.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
 |
See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.
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
|
Baseball:
Tue., April 2, 3 p.m. , @HPA
Thu., April 4, 3 p.m. , @Waiakea
Sat., April 6, 11 a.m. , @Kealakehe
Sat., April 13, 3 p.m. , @Kamehameha
Fri., April 19, BIIF Semi-Finals
Sat., April 20, BIIF Semi-Finals
Softball:
Wed., April 3, host Waiakea
Fri., April 5, 3 p.m. , @Kealakehe
Fri., April 12, BIIF Semi-Finals
Sat., April 13, BIIF Semi-Finals
Fri., April 19, BIIF Finals
Sat., April 20, BIIF Finals
Boys Volleyball:
Wed., April 3, 6 p.m. , host Ehunui
Fri., April 5, 6 p.m. , @Christian Liberty , Varsity
Tue., April 9, 6 p.m. , host Waiakea
Fri., April 12, 6 p.m. , @Keaʻau
Wed., April 17, 6 p.m. , Kamehameha
Fri., April 19, 6 p.m. , host Honokaʻa
Mon. April 22, BIIF First Round
Wed., April 24, BIIF Semi-Finals
Thu., April 25, BIIF Finals
Track:
Sat., April 6, 9 a.m. , @Waiakea
Sat., April 13, 9 a.m. , @HPA
Sat., April 20, 9 a.m. , @Kamehameha
GAME OF EXTREMES workshop happens Wednesday, April 3, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. , at Hilo Municipal Golf Course
Multipurpose Room, 340 Haihai Street .
The workshop is "a fun way to learn about climate change, its impacts, and
how we can adapt. Faced with climate impacts on a fictional community,
participants will decide how to make community assets most resilient."
Free. Seating
is limited. Register online at gameofextremes.eventbrite.com.
Kristin Baja, the Climate Resilience Officer for the Urban Sustainability
Director's Network, facilitates the workshop. Baja helps local
governments identify strategic ways to advance climate resilience planning and
implementation.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
Vacation Rental Regulation Hearing, Tuesday, April 2, 6 p.m., Hilo County Council Chambers. Testimony accepted.
Vacation Rental Regulation Hearing, Tuesday, April 2, 6 p.m., Hilo County Council Chambers. Testimony accepted.
AdvoCATS, Tuesday, April 2, 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Free spay/neuter for cats. 895-9283, advocatshawaii.org
Finger Puppetry, Tuesday, April 2, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym. Open to keiki grades K-6. Free. Register through April 1. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Mtg., Tuesday, April 2, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Pāhala Community Center.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
Arts and Crafts Activity: Plastic Spoon Flowers, Wednesday, April 3, 3:30-5p.m. , multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym. Register keiki grades K-6 March 25-April 2. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
Open Mic Night, Wednesday, April 3, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Lava Lounge, Kīlauea Military Camp. Call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. to sign up and for more details. Park entrance fees may apply. Open to KMC patrons and sponsored guests, 21+. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com
THURSDAY, APRIL 4
Women's Support Group, Thursday, April 4, 1st Thursday monthly, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org
Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, April 4, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
Stewardship at the Summit, Friday, April 5 and 26, Saturday, April 13 and 20, 8:45 a.m. – noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center. Volunteers remove invasive plants. Gloves and tools provided. Free; park entrance fees apply. RSVP to Paul and Jane Field, field@hawaii.edu. nps.gov/havo
Skateboard Movie Night, Friday, April 5, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Free; open to public. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
yART Sale, Saturday, April 6, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Gigantic rummage sale with proceeds to benefit VAC programs and workshops. Accepting donations of garden, kitchen, art, collectables, tools, appliances, and furniture. All items clean and in working condition. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
Sunday Clay - High Fire! with Erik Wold, eight week workshop starts Sunday, April 7. Morning session, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; afternoon session, 2:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Handmade functional pottery art – max. eight wheel throwers and three hand-builder spots per session. All skill levels. $180/VAC member, $200/non-member, plus $15 supply fee per person. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222
MONDAY, APRIL 8
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Coastal Net Patrol, Monday, April 8. Free; donations appreciated. RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629
Free STD Testing, Monday, April 8, 2nd Monday monthly, 9 a.m. – noon, Ocean View Community Center. Sponsored by Hawai‘i Department of Health. Call for appt. on different day or time. Teenagers 14+ do not need parent/guardian consent. Confidential. Free condoms and lube. 895-4927
Kickball, Monday, April 8 through 29, 2:30 p.m – 3:30 p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12 April 1-5. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
ONGOING
Beginning Farmer Institute Cohort Applications open through Monday, April 15. Free training program which "prepares new producers of any age or operation type for a successful future in agriculture." Applications at nfu.org/education/beginning-farmer-institute.
Kaʻū Coffee Fest invites non-profits, clubs, cooperatives, and businesses to sign up for booths at the 11th annual Kaʻū Coffee Fest Hoʻolauleʻa on Saturday, May 4 at Pāhala Community Center. The all-day event comes with music, hula, coffee tasting, and meeting the famous Kaʻū Coffee farmers. See
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Two $1,000 Scholarships are available from American Association of University Women-Kona to any female high school graduate or older women attending a two-year vocational program leading to a marketable skill at Palamanui Campus . Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, April 10. Application packets available at kona-hi.aauw.net. Contact sharonnind@aol.com.
Beginning Farmer Institute Cohort Applications open through Monday, April 15. Free training program which "prepares new producers of any age or operation type for a successful future in agriculture." Applications at nfu.org/education/beginning-farmer-institute.
Booth fees are $100 for food vendors; $60 for non-food items and crafts, including coffee and coffee samples; and $35 for pre-approved information displays. No campaign and other political displays. Fifty percent discounts for non-profit organizations and cooperatives selling food, crafts, and coffee. Vendors must also obtain county vendor permits costing $30 each and a Department of Health permit, if serving food. Call Gail Nagata 933-0918. Apply by Friday, April 26. Application at KauCoffeeFestival.com. Email to biokepamoses@gmail.com; mail to Brenda Iokepa-Moses, P.O. Box 208 , Pāhala , HI 96777
Exhibit: On Sacred Ground by Dino Morrow is open daily through Sunday, May 5 at Volcano Art Center Gallery. The public is invited to see documentary and portrait photography of Hula Arts at the Kīlauea Program. Visit volcanoartcenter.org for more information.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
