Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, Feb.1, 2023

 

'Āinapō Trail on state land in Kaʻū is found by visitors online and on the state's own Nā Ala Hele Hawai'i Trail & Access System website. The Legislature is deciding whether to use trails, parks and beaches on state lands to raise money through visitor fees.

Photo from All Trails

SHOULD THE STATE CHARGE USE FEES FOR TRAILS, BEACHES AND PARKS? So called Green Fees to benefit stewarding state lands are proposed in eight bills before Hawai'i Legislature. Visitors, who already find many state trails and destinations described by trail, beach and park guides online, as well as the state's online Nā Ala Hele Hawai'i Trails & Access System site, would pay the use fees. Locals would go for free or be able to buy a pass at a discounted rate. The goal is to raise money from tourists for taking care of the 'āina and the kai. Fighting invasive species, building up populations of native species, protecting and improving coral reefs, projects to reduce erosion of the coast and its beaches are named in various proposals.
    Some proposals venture that charging will reduce the number of visitors going to parks, trails and beaches. However, if state government can make money from them, would the state be incentivized to promote their increased use? That's one of the questions being asked.
    Mufi Hannemann, a former Honolulu mayor and city councilman and current head of the Hawai'i Lodging & Tourism Association, warned that such funds could be sneaked into the general fund for other purposes, rather than their intended use for the environment. Another issue is how the funds would be spent, through state agencies and possibly giving stewardship and project grants to non-profit organizations.

   

The state is one of the largest landowners in Kaʻū, with most of its land in Kaʻū Forest
 and Kapāpala Forest Reserves, with other swaths near Punalu'u and Ocean View, all
in light green. The blue is Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Hawai'i Legislature is
considering visitor fees to use select trails and other destinations on state land.
 

 House Bill 636 proposes a $50 annual fee for entry to all state locations that would be designated for collecting entrance fees. Its supportive language predicts that $400 million could be raised in one year. Its "special environmental legacy fund" would give out at least 50 percent of the money to steward and protect the environment.
    House Bill 1162 would also charge $50 per year for any visitor 15 and older. The measure calls for setting up a volunteer oversight commission. House Bill 442 visitors over the age of 15 to purchase a license, the money going into a “visitor green fee special fund.”
    Senate Bill 1349 and House Bill 1059 would set up and environmental legacy commission to select nonprofits and agencies to receive grants, with the money coming from up to 50 percent of the fee collections. The legislature would put in $3 million for a start up fund.
    Senate Bill 658, with the $50 annual fee, would set up an environmental legacy commission to give grants from its “visitor green fee special fund." The money collected would also be from donations, legislative appropriations and fines.
    Senate Bill 1349 and House Bill 1051 call for the $50 annual fee for visitors 15 and older, with fines for those who trespass without the license proving they paid. The fines would not be enforced during the first five years that tourists start paying.
    SB 304 would charge tourists over age 15 a $50 fee for an annual “environmental license” that could be purchased online, via an app or through retailers and nonprofit groups.
    House Bill 1237 would mandate a mobile app in multiple languages to collect the visitor fees. Languages would include English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Tagalog.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED BY NEW HAWAI'I POLICE CHIEF BENJAMIN MOSZKOWICZ to take the department’s Community Satisfaction Survey, which began Feb. 1 and runs through 4 p.m. on Feb. 28.

Hawai'i County Police Chief Ben Moskowicz
invites the public to take the Community
Satisfaction Survey. Photo from HPD

    HPD conducts the survey every two years as part of its national accreditation process.
    “At the most basic level, our job in the police department is to help the public feel safe,” says Chief Moszkowicz. “The only way we can gauge our success and identify areas for improvement, is to solicit feedback from the community.”
    “It is only through honest communication that we have any hope of continuing to improve the department and the community,” adds the Chief.
    The anonymous survey is available on the department’s website www.hawaiipolice.com and can be accessed directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HPD2023.
    Knowing that our department’s effectiveness is ultimately determined by the confidence and cooperation of the community we serve, the survey includes both multiple-choice questions and an opportunity to make individual comments that will aid us in determining the police department’s strengths and weaknesses.
    By comparing the results of this year’s survey with the results of past surveys, the department can gauge where it has improved and where it needs further improvement.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

HAWAI'I FARMERS UNION UNITED has issued a statement of support for a Healthy Soils Program bill introduced into the 2023 Hawai'i Legislature:

    "Our state's agricultural sector is a vital component of our economy, and it is important that we take steps to support and promote sustainable farming practices. By providing farmers with education,

technical assistance, and financial incentives to implement farm management practices that contribute to healthy soils, we can ensure that our state's farmland remains fertile, productive, and sustainable for future generations.
    "The Healthy Soils Program is intended to house multiple incentives, like those for cover crops and compost. This approach is similar to California's Healthy Soils Program which funds demonstration and implementation grants that support myriad conservation agriculture practices.
   "The Healthy Soils Program proposed in SB660 takes a comprehensive and holistic approach to soil health and sustainability. By establishing standards and goals for soil health, as well as incentives for small farmers, ranchers, and landowners to take carbon negative actions, this program will help ensure that our agricultural sector remains strong and resilient in the face of changing environmental conditions. We urge the legislature to pass SB660 and invest in the future of our state's agricultural sector by creating a Healthy Soils Program."

Volcano Thursday Market at Cooper Center, Feb. 2, is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

FREE FOOD
St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day, according to OKK President Wayne Kawachi.

OUTDOOR MARKETS
Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

'O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in the upper lot only. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

FREE FOOD
St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day, according to OKK President Wayne Kawachi.

OUTDOOR MARKETS
Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

'O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in the upper lot only. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.