Saturday, October 07, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park trails that are closed are in red. NPS map.
INFLATION IS CLOSE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN FIVE YEARS at the summit of Kīlauea, reports USGS Hawaiian Observatory on Saturday.
    Inflation has nearly returned to the level seen just before the last eruption on Sept. 10. Seismicity beneath Kīlauea summit region, which began Oct. 4, decreased around 2 a.m. and remains low Saturday morning. Over 24 hours approximately 170 earthquakes were recorded in Kīlauea summit region compared to about 320 earthquakes occuring over the previous day. Most of the earthquakes from the seismic swarm south of the caldera are at depths of around 2.5–3.5 km (1.5–2 mi) below the surface. The trend of the seismic activity parallels, but is slightly south of the December 1974 eruption vents. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates remain low and were measured at a rate of about 100 tonnes per day on Oct. 6.

IN HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, TRAILS, VIEWING AREAS AND PARKING ARE CLOSED from Kīlauea summit down to Kaʻū Desert Trail, due to elevated seismic activity and inflation. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park staff said the closures are temporary until further notice. Affected areas include:
    Hilina Pali Road from Chain of Craters Road to Hilina Pali Overlook;
Kulanaokuaiki Campground;
    Puʻupuaʻi parking lot, Puʻupuaʻi Overlook, and the trail that connects Puʻupuaʻi Overlook to Devastation Trail;
    Devastation parking lot and Devastation Trail;
    Keanakākoʻi Overlook and the paved trail from Chain of Craters Road;
    Crater Rim Trail from Chain of Craters Road to Keanakākoʻi Crater.
   Maunaiki Trail; and
    Kaʻū Desert Trail.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is closely monitoring Kīlauea in collaboration with our colleagues at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
 

POLICE OFFICERS RAISED MONEY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS by eating, sleeping, and raising awareness for the organization as they stayed on top of a 10-foot scaffolding at Hilo Wal-Mart over the last three days. It happens again in November in Kona. The event, formerly Cops on Top and now called Badges and Buckets, is the largest annual grassroots fundraiser for Special Olympics Hawai‘i. Now in its 20th year, this three-day event will move to Kona Wal-Mart on Nov. 10 and 11 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations collected from Badges and Buckets directly benefit Special Olympics Hawai‘i

and their efforts to provide year-round sports programs for athletes, including opportunities to participate in regional and national competitions.
    Over the years, the efforts of Hawai‘i Police Department’s officers have raised $250,000 to help provide year-round sports training and competitions to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This event is the largest Special Olympics fundraiser of the year and a large part of the annual budget is raised through this one event alone.
    During this year’s events, there are numerous, great incentives through donations made by many local sponsors. Special Olympics Hawai‘i will also be giving away visors, caps and t-shirts to those who donate.
    For more information on the Badges and Buckets event in East Hawai‘i, contact Officer Shea Nactor, at (808) 961-3066 or shea.nactor@hawaiicounty.gov. For more information on the West Hawai‘i event, contact Officer Joel Furuto, at (808) 326-4646, ext. 259 or joel.furuto@hawaiicounty.gov

HONEY BEE GRANTS: The Whole Kids Foundation 2024 Bee Grant is open for US K–12 schools or nonprofit organizations. The grant provides a choice of funding or equipment intended to support schools in bringing live bees to their campuses or growing their already existing educational hive programs.                 Visit 2024-WKFTBC-Traditional-Bee-Grant-Application_FINAL40.pdf for more information and to apply. Application deadline is Oct. 15.

USDA SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
The United States Department of Agriculture is accepting nominations with nomination packages submitted by Oct. 10. For more information, visit the USDA's ACBAR website. Send any inquiries to acbfr@usda.gov.

USDA CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS are available. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced $50 million toward Conservation Innovation Grants to stimulate the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with agricultural producers. For 2023, applications will be accepted from eligible entities for projects addressing at least one of the following priorities: irrigation management technologies, feed management and enteric methane reduction, grazing lands, nutrient management, and soil health demonstration (SHD) trials three to five years in duration. Application deadline is Oct. 30 by 11:59 p.m. EDT. Visit the government grants website for more information and to apply.