Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 6, 2013

The topic of a program presented by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at Pahala Community Center this evening focuses on gases emitted by Kilauea volcano. Photo from USGS/HVO

A MONK SEAL that died last week after being airlifted for medical care from the Big Island to Honolulu most likely succumbed to injuries and complications from ingesting a fishing hook, according to wildlife biologists and veterinarians.
      According to a statement released by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, a necropsy conducted by NOAA Fisheries revealed that the young male seal, known by his ID tags as RK68, suffered fractured ribs earlier in life. However, ingestion of a fishing hook more recently is believed to be the cause of death.
      Results of the necropsy reveal that the seal may have been hooked for several weeks or months. Officials said that if they had received a detailed report of the hooking incident when it occurred, the chances of a life-saving response could have been much greater.
      “Early reporting of a monk seal hooking can possibly mean the difference between life and death for one of these critically endangered animals,” said DLNR chairperson William J. Aila, Jr. “We rely on the community to be active and mindful stewards of our oceans. Had someone come forward, even anonymously, to report this hooking when it occurred, we may have been able to save his life.”
      This was the first monk seal death of 2013 and the first from Hawai`i Island according to available data. Hawai`i Island Mayor Billy Kenoi has promised increased support from the county. “We are sad to learn that Hawai`i Island has had its first monk seal death resulting from a hooking,” said Kenoi. “We will be encouraging everyone to report any injured or distressed seals to DLNR, and the county will be adding more informational materials in all our parks to help alert residents and visitors to this situation.”

Monk seals often haul out onto the Ka`u Coast and wildlife biologists ask the public to call when seals are entangled or mistakenly hooked.  Photo by Julia Neal

      The DLNR chief said that “many people today use the term ‘kuleana,’ but we all must remember that kuleana is not just about our rights, it is also about our responsibilities. Our community has a responsibility to help manage and care for Hawaiian monk seals.” Aila said that “hooking a monk seal is often preventable, but we know sometimes things happen beyond a fisherman’s control. However, reporting is almost always within our control, and when someone observes a hooking and doesn’t call it in, it means an unfortunate incident can go from bad to worse and become fatal for the seal. We have an opportunity at this time to find solutions that will work for both the seals and the fishermen.”
      NOAA officials noted that monk seal hookings appear to be increasing. There were nine reported hookings in 2011, none of which resulted in deaths. There were 15 hookings reported in 2012, resulting in three deaths. This incident marks the first seal death of 2013. Another seal was reported with a hook in its tongue on Monday afternoon on Kaua`i. DLNR and NOAA Fisheries considers these numbers concerning.
      Charles Littnan, lead scientist with NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Program, said, “It is certainly discouraging to see the number of hookings continue to increase, but it is alarming when monk seals lives are needlessly put at greater risk because people fail to report hookings as they occur.
      The scientist also said, “We remain strongly committed to studying monk seal behavior so we can find means of mitigating these interactions, but we depend on community members to provide us information on interactions. The more we receive public reportings of hookings and other interactions, the quicker we will be able develop solutions for mitigating these situations.”
      Littnan told The Ka`u Calendar that the hook probably came from a shore fisherman who was casting a fishing line out to sea. The hook apparently became lodged in the seal’s trachea and perforated his esophagus. Over time, scar tissue covered over the hook, which kept breaking through the tissue, further injuring the seal, who was about a year and a half old. The injury led to further complications, including difficulty in breathing, said Littman.
      A Coast Guard helicopter airlifted the failing seal to Honolulu, where he died.
      The toll-free, 24/7 reporting hotline for all fishery interactions and other marine mammal incidents is 1-888-256-9840. DLNR and NOAA Fisheries urge all fishermen and other ocean users to write down this hotline and/or save it in their mobile phones for timely use whenever a seal is hooked or entangled.

Tomorrow's meeting about Volcano School of Arts of Sciences takes place
at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village.

USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY brings a program to Pahala Community Center this evening at 6:30 p.m. Geochemists Tamar Elias and Jeff Sutton explain how vog forms and what has been learned about its effects on our island environment. Depending on interest from local communities, HVO hopes to bring more programs to the area. 

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES holds a public meeting tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano Village. Architects will present renderings of Keakealani, and community fundraising efforts will be discussed.

FUNDRAISING FOR KA`U HOSPITAL’S emergency room continues when Red Hat Ladies of Ka`u and Ka Lae Quilters hold a bake and craft sale Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m. at Punalu`u. Contributions are welcome. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

Janice Lee Baehr

PAHALA QUILTING HOSTS Hawaiian quilters, teachers and applique specialists Nancy Lee Chong and Janice Lee Baehr Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sisters show their quilts and stories behind each one and demonstrate various aspects of Hawaiian quilting. Baehr also presents her hand-dyed fabrics, with suggestions for creative ways to use them in quilts. 

      Chong and Baehr will be available all day to autograph copies of their book, Design Your Personal Hawaiian Quilt, as well as their DVDs and patterns.
      Call 238-0505 for more information.

ST. JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Ocean View holds its Mardi Gras celebration Friday at 6:30 p.m. with food, music and dancing. Tickets are $12 for one or $20 for two, with proceeds going to renew the Philippines Mission. Call 939-7555 for more information and tickets.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE For Boys & Girls Clubs’ Youth of the Year banquet Friday at 5:30 p.m. at `Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. The event features inspirational speakers, awards, food and auction items. Individual tickets are $70 each. To purchase tickets in Ka`u, call Boys & Girls Club board member Julia Neal at 928-9811. 

IN SPORTS, Kamehameha’s high school boys basketball team travels to Ka`u for a game this evening at 6 p.m.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 5, 2013

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park plans to eradicate mouflon sheep and other ungulates from the Kakuku Unit.
Photo from National Park Service

THE FINAL PLAN FOR RESTORING NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS BY MANAGING UNGULATES inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and the final Environmental Impact Statement are available to read at Na`alehu, Pahala and Mountain View Libraries.
      The final plan/EIS is also available on the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/havo_ecosystem_feis. A limited number of compact discs and hard copies of the final plan/EIS are also available by request at the park visitor center, One Crater Rim Drive, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718; or by phoning 985-6026.
       The plan says that the park “protects, restores and studies unique and diverse ecosystems and endemic species that are the result of over 30 million years of evolution on an active volcanic landscape, wide climate variation, and the extreme isolation of the Hawaiian Islands.”

The plan is available online and at public libraries.

     It “encompasses the largest and most ecologically diverse wilderness in the Pacific Islands” and “embraces the Native Hawaiian spiritual significance of this landscape and interprets related cultural traditions.”
      The plan reviews the history of attempts to control pigs, goats, sheep and other ungulates starting in 1927, when the Territorial Government conducted goat removal as part of a regional effort to protect Hawai`i’s watershed. Between 1927 and 1931, the plan states, 17,389 goats were taken from the park. Efforts ceased after 1931. The National Park Service took over control efforts and relied on private hunters to remove non-native ungulates in the park on a permit basis between 1932 and 1934. These efforts proved ineffective and were discontinued, the plan states.
      After 1934, control of non-native goats or other non-native species stopped until 1938, when the Civilian Conservation Corps conducted organized drives to remove the animals, supplemented with fencing. Although successful in removing large numbers of non-native ungulates from the park, Civilian Conservation Corps efforts were suspended in 1941 due to World War II, and fences deteriorated.
      In 1944, NPS hired private companies for goat control to round up goats and sell them at a profit. This continued until 1955, when it was discontinued due to lack of effectiveness. From 1955 into 1970, NPS relied exclusively on park staff to eliminate non-native ungulates. More than 30,000 goats were removed through a variety of techniques such as organized hunts and drives. However, a lack of steady funding and inadequate fencing did not allow for a level of sustained management that would reduce the population, the park plan states. In 1970, it was estimated that over 14,000 goats resided in the park.
      Along with feral goat eradication, attempts to control feral pigs were carried out in the park. Approximately 7,000 pigs were eliminated from the older part of the park from 1930 to 1971. The program did not eliminate pigs, largely due to the inability of NPS employees to carry out sustained reduction efforts and prevent re-entry of pigs into ungulate-control areas, the plan states.

Fenced area of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park shows recovery,
surrounded by unfenced areas with ungulate damage. Photo from NPS

      Also challenging were domestic cattle from adjoining ranches that would wander and graze within the park. The most impacted areas included Mauna Loa and portions of Kilauea. Although authorized grazing was discontinued in 1948, a small number of stray cattle (both domestic and feral) remained until the early 1970s. A small population of feral sheep was eliminated when NPS assumed ownership of `Ainahou Ranch in the early 1970s.
       In the 1970s, NPS changed management strategies to include a systematic approach of direct reduction and fencing, including the use of volunteers in management efforts. The strategy included the use of boundary and internal fences to isolate populations, removal of individuals at greater rates than they could be replenished by reproduction and ingress, boundary fence inspection and maintenance, and monitoring and removal to prevent population increases.
      Since the approach was adopted, NPS staff members have eliminated nearly all goats below 9,000-foot elevation (excluding the Kahuku Unit) and pigs from approximately 40,000 acres of interior fenced units or pig control units. Ingress of feral ungulates (goats, mouflon sheep, pigs and cattle) into managed units has occurred at very low, manageable rates since the 1970s. In Kahuku, large numbers of mouflon sheep are present along with feral pigs and a few feral goats and cattle. Several hundred feral sheep occur in the remote north corner of Kahuku. Between 2004 and 2006, approximately 1,900 mouflon sheep were removed from Kahuku along with construction of fence segments along the park boundary; however, populations remain high in many areas due to an annual population increase estimated between 21.1 and 33.1 percent, states the plan.

BANNER HEALTH SYSTEMS CORP. executives are scheduled to meet doctors and employees at Hilo Medical Center next Tuesday and Wednesday, reports Colin M. Stewart in today’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. The nonprofit hopes to acquire Ka`u Hospital and eleven other public hospitals throughout the state. HMC chief executive officer Howard Ainsley told Stewart that chief medical officer and executive vice president Dr. John Hensing and executive vice president and chief administrative officer Ronald R. Bunnell plan to share Banner’s health care philosophy and answer questions from area clinicians. They will discuss plans for dealing with health care reform issues and share their ideas on how to increase efficiency and produce better outcomes for patients, Ainsley said. 

      “This will let doctors have a better feel for how they run their business,” Ainsley said. “How they’re being successful, what their plans are for health care reforms and how we can best resolve issues.”
      Hawai`i Health Systems Corp. officials said that talks with Banner, which began in July, are still in the very early stages, “and much remains to be explored before any kind of deal can be struck,” Stewart reports.
      According to the Hawai`i Tribune-Herald story, HHSC Board chairman Avery Chumbley said Banner would lease properties from HHSC in a public-private partnership. Ainsley told Stewart such a partnership could help HHSC in dealing with many of the issues that have served to drive up costs. He said HHSC has little control over labor costs since it is a civil service employer. “Civil service means additional costs attributed to public hospitals,” he said. “It means labor costs are negotiated by someone other than myself. I’m not the one at the table when it comes to the table. HHSC only has one vote at the table on these labor cost issues. When you start looking at our costs (as a whole), all these factors come into play.”
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY plans will be discussed tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church Social Hall. Plans call for interpretive signage at visitor stops and education online. The Scenic Byway program is sponsored by Ka`u Chamber of Commerce and spearheaded by Dr. Dennis and Marge Elwell, authors of several books about the history of Ka`u. See http://www.hawaiiscenicbyways.org/index.php/byway/kau-scenic-byway-the-slopes-of-mauna-loa.

Tamar Elias samples gases at Kilauea summit. Photo from USGS/HVO

USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geochemists Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias explain how vog forms and what has been learned about its effects on our island environment tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Depending on interest from local communities, HVO hopes to bring more programs to the area. 

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES holds a public meeting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano Village. Architects will present renderings of Keakealani, and community fundraising efforts will be discussed.

FUNDRAISING FOR KA`U HOSPITAL’S emergency room continues when Red Hat Ladies of Ka`u and Ka Lae Quilters hold a bake and craft sale Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m. at Punalu`u. Contributions are welcome. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE For Boys & Girls Clubs’ Youth of the Year banquet Friday at 5:30 p.m. at `Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. The event features inspirational speakers, awards, food and auction items. Individual tickets are $70 each. To purchase tickets in Ka`u, call Boys & Girls Club board member Julia Neal at 928-9811.

IN SPORTS THIS WEEK, Ka`u High’s junior varsity softball team travels to Kamehameha today for a game at 2 p.m., and boys basketball team meets Kamehameha tomorrow at 6 p.m. at home. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 4, 2013

Ninole Hills, with their flat-top mountains between Pahala and Na`alehu, are two of the wonders of Ka`u that are featured in
Ka`u Scenic Byway presentations. A meeting will be held his Wednesday in Na`alehu.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY plans will be discussed at the first public meeting of 2013 this Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church Social Hall. The Scenic Byway program is sponsored by Ka`u Chamber of Commerce and spearheaded by Dr. Dennis and Marge Elwell, authors of several books about the history of Ka`u.

      The website for Ka`u Scenic Byway offers the tag line “The Slopes of Mauna Loa” and the word “Natural.” It describes the trip along Hwy 11 through Ka`u as “the route a traveler would normally follow from the Kona (west side) direction and driving toward Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

      The western slopes from Manuka State Park to the entrance to Kahuku section of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park feature a forest reserve and broad vistas with sweeping views of the ocean and mountain. This section includes landscape passing over relatively new lava so the traveler can experience transitions from substantially untouched to well vegetated volcanic terrain and rain forest.

Manuka State Park is an established rest stop for visitors. It has an
interpretive nature trail and is featured along Ka`u Scenic Byway.

      The southern slopes from Kahuku to the county park at Honu`apo Bay include the green segment that winds into the Wai`ohinu Valley then down toward the ocean, with a panorama that may extend to a distant view of Kilauea volcano. 

      The eastern slopes cover the area from Honu`apo to the main entrance to Hawai`i Volcanoes National park and offer long, sweeping green views toward Mauna Loa summit as well as the spectacular and unusual Ninole Hills. The road rises from sea level to over 4,000 feet and is partly within the boundary of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Ka`u Scenic Byway offers by far the longest stretches of unspoiled natural scenery to be found anywhere in the inhabited Hawaiian Islands.”
      The plans call for some interpretive signage at visitor stops, as well education online. According to Dennis Elwell, the idea is to teach visitors about Ka`u and direct them only to those places the community would like to share with guests. “We’re not interested in promoting places away from the highway,” he said.  See http://www.hawaiiscenicbyways.org/index.php/byway/kau-scenic-byway-the-slopes-of-mauna-loa.

NA MAMO O KAWA has set up an email address to connect with people interested in helping to plan the future of the lands around Kawa Bay, which were purchased from private landowners by the County of Hawai`i. The address is namamookawa@gmail.com. Fireman Lui Sales and land planner Pueo McGuire are among the people who formed the group, which includes surfers, fishermen and a number of people who have experienced Kawa throughout their lives. The land is more than 700 acres and includes estuaries, many native Hawaiian gravesites, heiau and Ka`u’s favorite surfing beach.
      The county has provided a contract to Ali`i Security Systems, Inc. to provide management services at Kawa. Ali`i put in the low bid for $566.40 per night.
      During last week’s county-sponsored meeting on the future of Kawa, several residents noted that Kawa had never had 24/7 security in the past and that a court order remains in place giving vehicular access to the public to use Kawa. Some speakers also said that a curfew from 6:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. precluded dawn patrol surfing, overnight fishing and other traditional activities.
      Mayor’s representative Karen Teshima said that the county is “letting Kawa settle” while archaeological and environmental studies are being conducted and that the current hours for foot traffic are not set in stone in the planning for the future.

THE MONK SEAL, flown last week from the Big Island to O`ahu by the U.S. Coast Guard, has died. Willlife officials and veterinarians had hoped to help it survive at Waikiki Aquarium. Helping with the seal was Dr. Charles Littman, of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administrations Hawaiian Monk Seals Research Program.
      For sightings of any entangled or injured seals, call 1-888-256-9840. All seal sightings can be reported to 808-220-7802. Email location of sightings and photos to pifsc.monksealsighting@noaa.gov.
      For more information on the Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Team, see www.hmsrto.org.

TODAY IS THE DEADLINE to enter Ka`u Golf Group’s annual Charitable Golf Tournament set for Saturday, Feb. 15 at Volcano Golf & Country Club. $75 entry fee includes golf cart and lunch. An auction is held during lunch. Proceeds benefit Ka`u Hospital’s emergency room. Contact Ron Young at 929-8390 or youngron19582@yahoo.com.

COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow, and the full Council meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Council chambers in Hilo. Committee meeting agendas are available at http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-council-committee. Council agendas, along with information on how to submit testimony, can be viewed at http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-council-meeting.
      Ka`u residents can participate in the meetings at Ocean View Community Center, with a system that allows testimony to be given live from the site.
      For more information, call 961-8536 or edistrict6@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Jeff Sutton measures gases emitted from Pu`u `O`o.
Photo from USGS/HVO

PERFORMANCES OF A WALK INTO THE PAST take place tomorrow and every other Tuesday in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Attendees meet at Kilauea Visitor Center. The free programs are at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Park entrance fees apply.

USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geochemists Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias explain how vog forms and what has been learned about its effects on our island environment Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Depending on interest from local communities, HVO hopes to bring more programs to the area. 

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES holds a public meeting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Cooper Center in Volcano Village. Architects will present renderings of Keakealani, and community fundraising efforts will be discussed.

RED HAT LADIES OF KA`U and Ka Lae Quilters raise funds to support improvements to the Ka`u Hospital’s emergency room with a bake and craft sale Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m. at Punalu`u. Contributions are welcome. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB supporters can cheer on Youth of the Year winners and raise money for the club through the purchase of tickets to the Youth of the Year banquet on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at `Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. The event features inspirational speakers, awards, food and auction items. Individual tickets are $70 each. To purchase tickets in Ka`u, call Boys & Girls Club board member Julia Neal at 928-9811. 

ST. JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Ocean View celebrates Mardi Gras Friday at 6:30 p.m. with food, music and dancing. Tickets are $12 for one or $20 for two, with proceeds going to renew the Philippines Mission. Call 939-7555 for more information and tickets.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.