Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022

A Hawaiian monk seal, lioholokauaua (Neomonachus schauinslandi), swims close, curiously examining the diver behind the camera at Papahānaumokuākea, which is being considered to become a National Marine Sanctuary. See more below.

 Photo by Andrew Gray/NOAA

REALIGNMENT OF COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS was set in late December. The county posted the final new detailed District 6 map that includes Kaʻū on Jan. 7, as it preps for the 2022 elections, with the primary on Aug. 16 and the General Election on Nov. 8. See the detailed map at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/113853/Page1.aspx

After the County of Hawai'i Reapportionment Commission did its
work all of Ka'u was left in the same District 6 with small adjustments
on the Kona and Volcano areas. Map from County of Hawai'i

    New District 6 runs from just north of Kealakekua, including the Hokuli'a Resort, and across the southern end of the island through all of Kaʻū, ending just east of Mauna Loa Estates near Volcano. The County Reapportionment Commission representative for Kaʻū was 'Aina Akamu.

     Hawai'i is different than most other states because it assigns the duty of ensuring fair voting districts to panels of private citizens. In most other states, elected officials are given the task to adjust the maps as populations grow, decline and shift. The aim of giving the task to citizens not holding office is to decrease the threat of gerrymandering and other ways to benefit particular politicians and political parties. 

   Akamu said the commission did "a pretty good job." He explained that some folks in the Volcano area wanted to be included with Hilo and there was discussion on how much of non-rural Kona to include in District VI. One area that is included in the same district as Kaʻū is the Konohiki Resort along the coastal bypass road to Kona.

   Akamu explained that when attempting to make the populations equal in each district, there is an allowance for up to ten percent deviation in order to reach such goals as keeping communities of interest together and refraining from diluting the voices of like people. Ideal would be 22,211 citizens for each County Council District, he said. The end result of the latest reapportionment gave Kaʻū more representation than most other districts. Its population deviation is minus 4.39 percent.

    The next reapportionment, unless citizens sue for changes, will be in ten years, after the next census.

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THE COUNTY'S MILOLI'I TRANSFER STATION, at the base of Miloli'i Road below Hwy 11, will be open for its last day on Saturday, Jan. 22. There will be new hours at Ocean View and Waiea Transfer Stations to accommodate the public's need to dispose of trash and recyclables. The reason for the closure, according to County of Hawai'i, is that Hawai‘i State law now prohibits waste or disposal facilities, including transfer stations, from being located and operating in a conservation district.

    This new law and the expiration of the Department of Health Permit to operate the transfer station requires the permanent closure of the Miloli‘i Transfer Station, said a statement from the county.

    The county Department of Environmental Management has modified the days of operations at Ocean View Transfer Station to allow the South Kona and Kaʻū communities more variety in days available for service. 
    Ocean View Transfer Station at 92-9017 Māmalahoa Hwy will be open Tuesday, Friday, Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Waiea Transfer Station at 86-3895 Hawai‘i Belt Road will be open Monday, Thursday, Saturday from  6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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THE PUBLIC CAN GIVE INPUT ON WHETHER TO DESIGNATE NORTHERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS A NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY. The area is comprised of the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea, already a National Marine Monument. NOAA is accepting public comment through Jan. 31. The Marine Sanctuary designation process is being conducted in cooperation with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, state of Hawaiʻi and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to more than 7,000

marine species, including the Bluefin Trevally. The marine area around

them could become a National Marine Sanctuary. Photo by James Watt

  Other National Marine Sanctuaries include American Samoa, the Olympic Coast, Florida Keys, Monterey Bay, Lake Ontario, and the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast.

    For more information on the proposed Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary designation and how to comment, see the Federal Register notice. The State of Hawaiʻi is also initiating a public comment process.       The public is asked to comment on the range of issues to be considered for the designation of the national marine sanctuary, including potential boundaries; impacts on historic properties; resources that would be protected by a sanctuary; and the potential socioeconomic, cultural, and biological impacts of sanctuary designation. The information the agency receives during the comment period will be used to develop draft designation documents including a draft sanctuary management plan, proposed sanctuary regulations, and terms of designation.

    NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries initiated consideration of designating marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a national marine sanctuary under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. 

    The area has a long history of being considered for national marine sanctuary designation, starting with an executive order in 2000 by President William J. Clinton. President George W. Bush designated the monument in 2006 based in part on the sanctuary designation process that was already underway. In 2016, President Barack H. Obama followed the original monument designation with a Presidential Proclamation to expand the monument to its current boundaries. In December 2020, Congress directed NOAA to initiate the sanctuary designation process, which does not change the status of the monument. 

A proposed National Marine Sanctuary would include the waters of the Northern Hawaiian Islands.
Map from NOAA

    According to a statement from NOAA, "National marine sanctuary designation would add the conservation benefits to the marine areas of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by providing a stable regulatory framework and additional protections to safeguard living, cultural, and maritime heritage resources. The co-management structure that is a hallmark of the monument will continue. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has been a key partner and co-managing agency in the management of Papahānaumokuākea since the initial designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in 2000."

    Comment through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov. The docket number is NOAA-NOS-2021-0114. Comments may also be mailed if postmarked by Jan. 31 Comments should be addressed to: PMNM-Sanctuary Designation, NOAA/ONMS, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.

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A MARINE POLICY FELLOWSHIP IS AVAILABLE to work in Washington, D.C. University of Guam and University of Hawai'i Sea Grant Programs are urging Pacific based students to apply for the year-long program. Applications are being accepted for the 2023 fellowship and are due to Hawai'i Sea Grant by Friday, Feb. 18.  Sixty-six fellowships were provided for 2022.

    A statement from the sponsors says, "The John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship provides a unique educational experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program, which is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant Office, matches highly qualified graduate students with "hosts" in the legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year paid fellowship.

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FREE SERVICES FOR THOSE LIVING WITH DIABETES OR HYPERTENSION will be given by Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Ōiwi beginning in February. 

    The Diabetes Self-Management Education Program will be a 4-week online class led by healthcare professionals about diabetes management, including nutrition, exercise, and medication. Classes will be held on Wednesdays from Feb. 2 to 23  from  5 p.m.-7 p.m.
    The Hypertension Management Program will be a three-week online class about hypertension (high blood pressure) and management. Classes will be held on Wednesday from February Feb. 9 to 23 from  10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
    Classes will be online via computer or smartphone. Call-in option available upon request. To sign up, visit hmono.org/services.

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A PROSTITUTION STING LED TO 12 ARRESTS AND A CERTIFICATE OF HONOR for a Hawai' Police Department officer during National Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month, which brings awareness to the issue of the exploitation of women. For his dedicated efforts organizing a 

Acting Assistant Chief Kenneth Quiocho, Hawai‘i County Councilmember
 Ashley Kierkiewicz, Detective Jesse Kerr, and Councilmember Matt
Kanealii-Kleinfelder. Photo from HPD

prostitution sting organization that resulted in the arrest of 11 men and one woman last November, Hawai‘i Police Department Area I Vice Detective Jesse Kerr was honored by the Hawai‘i County Council during the Council’s meeting in Kona on Wednesday.
    According to a statement from HPD, Kerr, a 23-year veteran of the department, "meticulously planned" the undercover investigation, which took place between Nov. 16 through 18, 2021. Eleven men were arrested for soliciting prostitution and one woman was arrested for prostitution. The certificate of honor was presented to the detective Kerr by County Council Member Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder on behalf of the County Council.

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The Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) is accepting applications

for its summer 2022 internship program. PIPES is a 10-week undergraduate internship

program May 31 to Aug. 5, offered through University of Hawai'i at Hilo.

The goal is "to connect under-represented undergraduate students, especially those

who are Native Hawaiian or kamaʻāina, to internship opportunities with agencies and

organizations responsible for research, management, and education relating to

environmental issues in Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific region. Internships are

paid experiences. Participants may be eligible for additional housing assistance.

For more information, visit: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/uhintern/ 

The deadline to apply is January 31, 2022.

See archives of The Ka`u Calendar at
www.kaucalendar.com and find the
monthly print copy in mailboxes from 
Volcano through Ocean View.

     

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

Waikapuna is subject of a community planning meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Photo by Shalan Crysdale

 

THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR WAIKAPUNA IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC INPUT. Those assisting the community in making the plan sent out a notice this week to remind folks that a community meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. "to provide mana'o about the important cultural and natural resources of Waikapuna, critical issues relating to the resources, and ideas for stewardship." 

    Waikapuna is 2,317 acres, located south of Nāʻālehu in the ahupua'a of Kahailipalinui and Kahilipali'iki in the moku of Kaʻū.              Several developments have been proposed for this land, the most recent being a subdivision development planned by the previous landowner. 

    Seeking to protect its significant natural and cultural resources, the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, a non-profit organization, raised funds through The Trust for Public Land; the State Legacy Land Conservation Program; County of Hawai'i's Public access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund; and private doors to acquire Waikapuna for conservation in 2019.
    County of Hawai'i holds a Conservation Easement over Waikapuna with the purpose to "conserve, preserve, and protect in perpetuity the historic, cultural, agricultural, natural, marine, scenic, open space, fresh water, and native and endemic plant and animal habitat values of the Easement Property." A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently limits uses of the land (such as development) in order to protect its conservation values.
    Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which holds title to the property, is required to establish a land management plan that is consistent with the purpose of the Waikapuna Conservation Easement and the State LLCP grant agreement.

Waikapuna's coastline is home to an intricate network
of flora and fauna. Photo from Ala Kahakai Trail Association

    Townscape, a consulting firm, is contracted to help make the plan with community input. Analysis of Waikapuna resources, issues and needs was done during the third quarter of 2022. Next step is to develop management strategies by the second quarter of 2022 and to complete the Final Waikapuna Management Plan by the fourth quarter of 2022. In addition to the community meeting by zoom on Jan. 26, there will be a community meeting regarding the Draft Waikapuna Management Plan during the third quarter of 2022.
    The Jan. 26 meeting is begin held on Zoom, due to ongoing health concerns regarding COVID-19.  The Meeting ID is 837 4467 8871. Passcode is kau. For audio only, dial (346) 248-7799
Meeting ID: 837 4467 887. Passcode : 816026.

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MAUNA LOA'S EFFUSIVE ERUPTIONS AND SPECTACULAR LAVA FLOWS are the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:

Mauna Loa is known for its effusive eruptions that produce spectacular lava flows. However, some of the volcanic products found on Mauna Loa are pyroclastic or explosive in character.
Evidence of a more violent style of eruption has been identified in the form of debris fans. These deposits are largely made up of solidified blocks, lapilli (pieces <2.5 inches), and ash.

   The age and general location of the deposits were discussed in an earlierVolcano Watch article published in 2018.    Here, we describe the rock types and sizes, which are used to help constrain the vent locations and size of these unusual explosive eruptions.

    Generally, the ejected rocks are roughly equivalent in size and abundance along the central axis of each fan, and they decrease in size with increasing distance from the caldera rim.    We documented over 1,000 clasts from the debris fan on the northwest rim. The clasts were dominated by ponded lava, ejecta, both unaltered and altered, totaling 78 percent. Pāhoehoe clasts, both unaltered and altered, are the second most abundant, at 20 percent, while gabbroic xenoliths and bread-crust or crackle-surface rocks each comprise 1 percent of the deposit. Clasts in the northwest fan range in size from 3–220 cm (1–87 in) in diameter, with an average size of 26 cm (10 in). 

Types of explosive clasts found in the debris fan deposits at the summit of Mauna Loa: (A) unaltered pondedlavaflow, (B) unaltered pāhoehoe, (C) altered ponded lava flow, often has a red to pink hue, (D) thermally altered pāhoehoe, often has a red-to-pink hue, (E) gabbroic xenolith, the most crystalline rocks we found, (F) bread-crustouter surfaces and vesicular interiors or dense clasts with crackle or crazed surface rinds, (G) bread-crust due to quenching. USGS photos

    The east, or Mauna Loa Cabin apron, is also dominated by ponded lava ejecta, both unaltered and altered. We documented over 1,700 clasts, and ponded lava comprises 98 percent of the lithics, while pāhoehoe clasts, both unaltered and altered, comprise only about 1 percent of the deposit. Bread-crust or crackle-surfaced rocks also comprise 1 percent of this deposit, along with a single gabbroic lapillus that was noted.

        In the east fan, most larger-sized clasts (greater than 40 cm or 16 in) are found in the northern section of the fan. Lithic ejecta in the north ranges from 2–153 cm (0.8–60 in) in length, with an average of 21 cm (8 in). To the south, the clasts are much smaller and more abundant. The ash fraction is over 70 percent of the deposit, burying almost all of the underlying pāhoehoe flows. The clasts range in size from 1–66 cm (0.4–26 in), with an average size of 13 cm (5 in).
    West fan clasts, types, and sizes are randomly scattered at varying distances from the caldera rim, with no clear dispersal pattern. We cataloged over 340 clasts; pāhoehoe, both unaltered and altered, is the most abundant at 44 percent, followed by ponded lava, both unaltered and altered, at 24 percent. Clasts range from 2–90 cm (0.8–35 in), with an average of 20 cm (8 in).

Map of explosive deposits at the edge of Moku'āweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa. Map showing the size distribution of ejecta, sorted by maximum length in centimeters (one inch is about 2.5 cm). The colors indicate the different size fractions in centimeters. The largest blocks were found closest to the rim. In general, clast size diminished with increasing distance, but medium-sized blocks were found nearly at the distal extent of fan limits. The dark flows in the image outside the caldera are the youngest 'a'ā flows. USGS map.
    Surprisingly, the two most uncommon rocks in the other explosive fans are quite abundant in the west fan. Gabbros comprise 21 percent of the deposit, while bread-crust or crackled-surface rocks comprise 11 percent of the deposit.
    The flow samples indicate the explosions occurred at depth, and had to break through overlying lava flows. Many of the pahoehoe blocks are rounded, suggesting that they were tumbled in the vent or recycled a few times before ejection. Gabbros represent crystalized lava lake.    The most unusual blocks have "bread-crust" textures or have water-quenched-type outer surfaces (crackled). We interpret the bread-crust-textured clasts as the ejected clots of residual melts of crystallizing shallow magma bodies, similar to those that produced the gabbroic xenoliths. This residual melt was still molten or plastic when the explosive activity occurred. In contrast, the crackle-surfaced types are the result of hot rocks being rapidly quenched.

    So why is this information so important? Based on simple geometry of the arcuate shaped deposit fans, clast type, and size distribution, we can determine that the sources of these explosive eruptions were from vents on the caldera floor adjacent to the deposits found on the rim.
    We know that explosive eruptions have occurred on Mauna Loa before, and that this type of activity is likely to happen again. Although no one lives at the summit of Mauna Loa, explosive eruptions have the potential to pose a threat to hikers, aircraft, and communities downwind that could experience ashfall. This study adds another important dimension in reconstructing the long-term eruptive history of Mauna Loa.

is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

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See archives of The Ka`u Calendar at
www.kaucalendar.com and find the
monthly print copy in mailboxes from 
Volcano through Ocean View.