Saturday, March 08, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, March 8, 2014

The permitting process for restoration of fishponds such as at Honu`apo may be streamlined under a
Department of Land & Natural Resources proposal. Photo from The Nature Conservancy
OCEAN VIEW IS GETTING A NEW MEDICAL CLINIC. Mango Medical, a primary care medical group based in Waimea, is opening the Ka`u clinic at 92-8691 Lotus Blossom Lane, Nos. 6 and 7 on Monday, March 17. Dr. Doede Donaugh and APRN Cindy Cohen are now taking appointments for new and existing patients, and all insurances are accepted.
Dr. Doede Donaugh
      An explanation of the clinic’s name is on the website mangomed.org. “Well, you may have heard of the proverb ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ and science is confirming the truth of this statement more and more. The little tropical Hawaiian mango, like the apple, is packed with nutraceuticals and probably even more health benefits.
      “We chose to name our practice Mango Medical because in addition to being a full-service primary care medical office that happily sees your colds, aches and pains, bruises, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and lists of other ailments, we want to keep you healthy and well even more. We’ll show you how eating more mangoes, apples, exercise, laughing more and other simple measures can all keep you healthy and perhaps even prevent some of those ailments listed.”
APRN Cindy Cohen
      Donaugh earned her bachelor of science in pre-med and math from Ohio Northern University in 1993, and obtained her doctor of osteopathy from NOVA Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Florida in 2004. She did an undergraduate fellowship in osteopathic manipulative medicine while in medical school because of her passion for the art of osteopathy. She completed her combined internship and residency in Osteopathic Family Practice at Broward General Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 2007. She practiced in various locations in Wyoming and Las Vegas as a primary care physician and served the last three years at Bay Clinic in Na`alehu. She is a member of the National Health Service Corp as a loan-repayment participant, and is also practicing part-time at Ka`u Rural Health Clinic in Pahala.
      Cohen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Utah in 1987 and completed her Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Westminster College in 1998. She has practiced in a variety of settings from providing on scene emergency medical treatment as an AirMed Flight Nurse at the University of Utah Hospital to a nurse practitioner mainly in the rural setting at community health centers and in private practice.
      Cohen practices family medicine and pursued it because she enjoys the variety of providing care to the whole family. She has a special interest in women’s health, pediatrics and hormonal imbalances. She believes that the provider/patient relationship is a collaborative one through determining what best fits the patients needs then discussing various treatment options and education to maximize their health by making dietary and lifestyle changes.
      According to the website, Mango Medical also plans to open facilities in Hilo and Kona.
      Call 939-8100 or fax 939-8102 for more information.

Margery Bronster
A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER that halts Hawai`i County’s registration of farmers growing crops with genetically modified organisms crops is in effect. The TRO also prevents the county from releasing information about the 210 farmers who have registered. 
      Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reports that Third Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura granted the order when an unnamed plaintiff requested it two days after the Wednesday deadline for farmers to comply with the program.
      The county’s recently enacted law banning GMO crops, with exemptions for farmers already growing them, calls for those farmers to register with the county Department of Research and Development and provide information such as types of crops grown, tax map keys of their farms and locations of GMO crops. The law calls for the information to be kept confidential if releasing it would impede the county’s ability to gather accurate information.
      According to reporter Tom Callis, Margery Bronster, attorney for the plaintiff, said, “These are farmers who really fear for their plants, for their farms and for their livelihoods.”
      Bronster said the law fails to provide criteria for the release of information the farmers provide or means for them to keep it confidential if they believe its release would cause them harm.
      Deputy Corporation Counsel Michael Udovic told Callis the law is valid and within the power of the “county’s concern for the public good.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

Ka`u is the site of several fishponds. Map from DLNR
STREAMLINING THE PERMITTING PROCESS to restore fishponds in Ka`u and throughout the state is the purpose of proposal by Hawai`i Department of Land & Natural Resources. DLNR seeks public input through Monday. 
      The program covers five permits or authorizations and compliance with seventeen different state and federal laws that currently govern an element of fishpond restoration. The permits are the coastal zone management consistency statement from the state Office of Planning, environment assessment from the Office of Environmental Quality and Control, general permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, water quality certification from the Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch and Conservation District Use Application from DLNR’s Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands.
      Persons wanting to restore a fishpond would have to submit a Conservation District Use application.
      DLNR would create a three-tier review process based of scope of proposed work. Tier I includes minor repair, restoration, maintenance and operation of existing fishponds, construction or placement of minor structures, stocking and harvesting with traditional methods and removal of alien species. Tier II is for emergency repairs or fishpond repair, restoration, maintenance and operation involving work that is in excess of 10 percent but less than 50 percent of the original fishpond structure. Tier III is for repair, restoration, maintenance, and operation involving work that is in excess of 50 percent of the original fishpond structure, and DLNR would have discretion to exclude major projects from the Programmatic Permit due to potential for significant environmental impacts. Tier III also covers dredging involving the use of mechanized equipment and any activity that may moderately affect/alter sandy beaches or sediment deposition.
       Tier II and III proposals would be subject to agency and community review prior to DLNR approval.
      Written comments can be mailed to OCCL, PO Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809 or emailed to michael.cain@hawaii.gov.
      For more information, visit honuaconsulting.com/lokoia or dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/current-applications.

Hawai`i State Rep. Jessica Wooley
GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS APPOINTED JESSICA WOOLEY to serve as the state’s director of Environmental Control, subject to her confirmation by the state Senate. In addition to serving as head of the Office of Environmental Quality Control, Wooley will serve the governor in an advisory capacity on all matters relating to environmental quality control. 
      “Jessica is knowledgeable and experienced in issues pertaining to the environment, water resources, agriculture and land use,” said Abercrombie. “Her legal and public service background will be a great asset in protecting Hawai`i’s fragile environment. Her energy and commitment to the issues involved with the OEQC is a big plus for Hawai`i.”
      Wooley said, “As a public servant, I see this as a tremendous opportunity to have a greater impact. I will be honored to work with the governor and his administration as we continually work to make sure our environment is resilient and able to support the public interest and all of Hawai`i’s policy goals. We must always keep in mind that our very economy, our health and our safety depend on our ability to care for our environmental resources.”
      Elected in 2008, Wooley serves as chair of the House Agriculture Committee. Previously, she was an attorney at Legal Aid, an economist at University of Hawai`i-Manoa and deputy attorney general under Governors Ben Cayetano and Linda Lingle.
      Wooley earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of California, Santa Cruz, along with a master’s degree in agricultural and resource economics and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley.

Participants in FHVNP's Sunday Walk in the Park view
Hawai`i's largest petroglyph field.
PEOPLE & LANDS OF KAHUKU is a guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain that focuses on the area’s human history. The hike takes place tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. 

POHAI MONTAGUE-MULLINS LEADS A GUIDED HIKE, 1.5 miles roundtrip to the largest petroglyph field in Hawai`i, tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s monthly Sunday Walk in the Park. Participants view hundreds of ancient symbols carved into lava over countless generations. Free for Friends members; non-members can join the organization in order to attend.
      Register for the walk at 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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