Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022

Congressman Kai Kahele brought every student at Nāʻālehu Elementary on Friday a personal letter from the
Congressman, a U.S. Constitution and House of Representatives swag. Photo from Kahele

Kai Kahele and leadership of
Nāʻālehu Elementary on Friday.

NĀ’ALEHU SCHOOL WAS CONGRESSMAN KAI KAHELE'S DESTINATION on Friday just off the plane for 72 hours in state. He travelled straight to Nāʻālehu Elementary School and said his aim was "to inspire 500 pre-K through sixth grade students in one of Hawai'i’s rural, country communities. Every student received a personalized letter, pocket constitution and U.S. House swag!" He proceeded to other schools in Hilo, including a Junior Achievement speakers program at Waiakea High School.

     Other news from Kahele this week, as he begins to wrap up his term in Congress, includes meeting with outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and incoming Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries. 

Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi and Kahele family.

    On Saturday, Kahele posted Ola i ka wai #ShutDownRedHill. He earlier posted: "#OnThisDayInHistory in 2021, I first raised the unfolding crisis at Red Hill in a House Armed Services Committee Democrats hearing with the U.S. Navy. In that bottle was petroleum contaminated water from faucets of military families homes that I collected earlier that week and brought to Washington. Exactly 270 days later the Secretary of Defense announced the permanent closure of #RedHill." On Saturday evening, Kahele posted: "Our ‘ohana was proud to “walk for wai” this afternoon to support Ernie Lau and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to #ShutDownRedHill.

     The pollution of domestic water on O'ahu from the military storage of fuel in its Red Hill facility is one of the biggest stories in Hawai'i over the past year.

    This week, Kahele also honored the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink on her 95th birthday, saying: "The first Asian American Pacific Islander woman and first woman of color elected to the U.S. House, Congresswoman Mink championed #TitleIX and fearlessly fought to prevent discrimination across our nation’s educational institutions." Title IX says: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." It is credited with women and all genders having increased participation in education and in school sports.

Protests on O'ahu on Saturday calling for immediate shutdown of Red Hill where pollutants from

military fuel storage have been polluting domestic water. Photos from Kai Kahele

THE CIVIL DEFENSE ERUPTION UPDATE for Saturday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. says, "Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reduced the Mauna Loa Volcano alert level from Warning to Watch and reports that Fissure 3 continues to erupt with greatly reduced output of lava and gas emissions. Short outbreaks of lava continue above the 10,000 foot elevation and are no risk to any communities at this time. A Volcanic Alert Level, Watch means an eruption is underway but with limited hazards."

    Saddle Road, the Daniel K. Inouye Hwy, remains open in both directions.
    "The reduced level of activity is resulting in a minimal to no red lava viewing," says Civil Defense, reminding the public that all areas adjacent to Daniel K. Inouye Highway, Old Saddle Road, and near the lava flow are closed and "prohibited from access to the public for your safety. You will be updated of any changes that affect your safety."

 Aerial view of the fissure 3 cone on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. On Dec. 10, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists noted there are no fountains present in fissure 3. Only a lava pond is present with minor circulating activity.
USGS Photograph by K. Mulliken

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com.

COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE FUTURE OF THE KAHUKU-PŌHU'E unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was gathered by the Park, Trust for Public Land and other partnering organizations for the planning of public access and other programs. The venue was Nāʻālehu Hongwanji on Saturday. See coverage in the Sunday Kaʻū News Briefs.

Community members gathered Saturday to give input on the future of the Kahuku-Pohue
unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. See coverage in Sunday's Kaʻū News Briefs.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com.

See The Ka'u Calendar in the mail and in stands from Volcano
through Miloli'i. Also see stories daily on facebook and at
www.kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com

PICTURES WITH SANTA AT OV COMMUNITY CENTER
CHRISTMAS EVE, 1 P.M. TO 3 P.M.

Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022

Hawaiian land snails, kāhuli, once numbered 750 species on the island and are the subject of an
art contest for the state Wildlife Conservation Stamp. Photo from DLNR

A CALL TO ARTISTS FOR IMAGES FOR A WILDLIFE CONSERVATION STAMP AND A GAME BIRD STAMP has come from the state department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife. The wildlife conservation stamp is a requirement for Hawai‘i state hunting licensees while the game bird stamp is required for anyone intending to hunt game birds. Both stamps will also be available to stamp collectors.
    This year's chosen species for the artwork for the Wildlife Conservation stamp are kāhuli, Hawaiian land snails. Hawaiʻi once harbored over 750 species of land snails, almost all unique to individual islands. "These jewels of nature and culture are important components of island ecosystems from mauka to makai, and come in a variety of spectacular colors, shell shapes, and sizes," says the DLNR statement.
    The Game Bird Stamp will feature the chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Pterocles exustus, a native to Africa

and Asia and an introduced game bird on Hawaiʻi Island. It can fly against the strongest Waimea winds and make diurnal migrations mauka to makai to collect water.
    The art must be oil or acrylic and show the snail or gamebird in its Hawai'i habitat and be a maximun size of 24" X 36". The submission must be the painting itself or an 8.5 X 11" photo, print or photocopy. Entries must be received by Feb. 25, 2023. Notification of the winner will be made in March 2023.

    All entries must be received by February 25, 2023. Notification of the winner will be made in March 2023. Each winner will receive a maximum award of $1,000. The winner of the Conservation Stamp will also get a behind-the-scenes tour (for themselves and 10 family or friends) of a captive rearing snail lab.
     Funds from Hawaii Wildlife Conservation Stamp sales go into the state Wildlife Revolving Fund to support wildlife populations and habitat, and to manage the states hunting program.
    Last year revenues from both stamps were used to cover some of the costs of maintaining hunting units and to add game bird and game mammal hunting opportunities where possible. Proceeds from the sales of wildlife conservation stamps will also provide funds for the annual lease rental of the Lānaʻi Cooperative Game Management Area and several other hunting leases while also supporting wildlife diversity programs.

    See the application form at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/files/2022/11/FY23-24-artist-application.pdf

TAKING OF PĀKU‘IKU‘I, ACHILLES TANG, IS TEMPORARILY BANNED from South point up the west coast of the island. On Friday, the State Board of Land & Natural Resources approved the prohibition of harvesting pāku‘iku‘i, a popular aquarium collecting fish, within the West Hawai‘i Regional Fishery Management Area. This is the first time that the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has adopted rules under the new adaptive management rulemaking authority, which allows the Department to approve temporary management measures in response to rapidly changing resource conditions.

    In revising the rules, DAR stated that "the change will allow for replenishment of the dangerously depleted pāku‘iku‘i fish population in the area as the Division works towards longer-term regulations for sustainable pāku‘iku‘i take"
    The new rules are set to begin Dec. 19, effective for a maximum of two years with the option to extend up to one year at a time upon approval by the BLNR and the Hawai‘i State Legislature.
   Department of Aquatic Resources is already working with coastal communities, including the community of Miloli'i, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, United States Geological Survey, and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration "to better understand pāku‘iku‘i life history traits that will support a more robust understanding of their stocks," says the DLNR statement.

A WIND ADVISORY FOR Hawaii Island is in place through Saturday morning. Sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph with localized gusts up to 55 mph are forecast. The National Weather Service also extended the High Surf Advisory for East facing shores of Hawai'i Island through Saturday morning.

MONITORING OF MAUNA LOA is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by scientists and affiliates of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
    The first few hours of Mauna Loa's eruption were dynamic, and volcanologists intently watched monitoring data to track changing conditions and understand how the eruption was developing. This monitoring is crucial to issuing hazards notifications to communities that may be at risk and is why we continue to closely monitor this new eruption.
    For months, monitoring data had indicated that Mauna Loa was inching closer to an eruption. The volcano had been inflating for years, and the past few months had seen an uptick in the rate of earthquakes. In late September 2022, HVO issued an Information Statement summarizing the increased activity, and by early October, daily, instead of weekly, activity updates were initiated. HVO also began holding community meetings in areas of the island that might be impacted by a Mauna Loa eruption, including Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, South Kona, and Pāhala.

Aerial view of Mauna Loa summit with Luahou in the foreground followed by Luahohonu, South Pit, and Mokuʻāweoweo summit caldera. A small dusting of snow covers the ground east of the summit. The steaming fissure was active during the beginning of the eruption, but this morning the lava in the summit caldera had already cooled to a black color. The white plume in the background is rising from the fissures in the Northeast Rift Zone. USGS photo J. Schmith

    The eruption started in Mokuʻāweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, at about 11:30 p.m. HST. The handful of scientists that responded to alarms about 45 minutes before the eruption quickly turned into an online meeting of 15–20 experts in seismology, deformation, geology, and satellite imagery. Additionally, Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency (HCCDA) was immediately appraised of the volcano's behavior, both via the online meeting and with the addition of a volcanologist who quickly went to the HCCDA Emergency Operations Center in Hilo. Scientists from USGS volcano observatories in Alaska, California, and Washington also joined to assist.
 

The Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa continue into its
twelfth full day of Friday. One active fissure, fissure 3, feeds
 lava flows downslope to the north. USGS analysts  mapped
 some of the most active flows, displayed in red , along with
 older flows further uprift, in part of Mokuʻāweoweo caldera, and
 in the upper summit region southwest of the caldera. Lava
flow length was measured by tracing the continuous active channel
 shown in yellow here and then extending the measurement to
 the distal lava flow extent measured in satellite data. 

  The primary concern was that the eruption might shift toward the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ). Lava from Southwest Rift Zone eruptions can reach populated areas within hours, so recognizing the early signs of a rift zone eruption is key.
    A few hours after the eruption started, images began to appear on social media of lava flows visible from Kona. In the dark, these flows looked menacing, and the public had clear concerns that the eruption had made its way into the Southwest Rift Zone. Indeed, the fissure that first opened in Moku'aweoweo continued opening towards the south, outside the topographic caldera, but still inside Mauna Loa's summit region. This produced the lava flow on the southwest side of the summit that was visible from the Kona coast. These flows did not threaten any populated areas and were ultimately short-lived.
    Monitoring data—ground tilt, seismic, cameras, thermal satellite, and infrasound (low-frequency sound)—continued to show that the eruption was focused at the summit. Volcanologists remained glued to their computer screens...
   By about 6 a.m. HST on November 28, reports from observers on the ground, as well as thermal satellite data, indicated that the eruption had moved into the Northeast Rift Zone. A few minutes later, this was confirmed by infrasound (low-frequency sound waves) and seismicity, and cameras showed that the summit-area eruption had stopped. With first light, volcanologists

 Aerial image of the lava channel issuing from fissure 3,
 erupting high on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa.
 The reduced lava output at fissure 3 is evident in the low
 level of lava in the channel. Mauna Kea is visible in the
 background of the image. USGS image by P. Dotray

were in the air, on overflights and being shuttled to the eruption site to gather additional data and observations. But they began to breathe a bit easier. History suggests that once a Mauna Loa eruption moves into one rift zone, it stays there.
    Those tense first several hours served as a good test of how HVO is able to work with HCCDA officials and volcanologists from other USGS offices to rapidly respond to volcanic activity. Together, these agencies continue to monitor the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa and keep the public informed on the activity.
    As of December 8, the main lava flow front that was approaching the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road) stalled about 1.7 mi (2.8 km) away. Lava continues to erupt from fissure 3 but these flows are now closer to the vent and are working their way downslope again.
    Future Mauna Loa eruptions, from the summit, either rift zone, or radial vents, are inevitable, but it is impossible to forecast precisely when those might happen. HVO's monitoring networks plus the high level of community awareness provide the best mitigation for hazards from any such eruption.
    HVO is grateful to the Island of Hawaiʻi for your support, awareness, and engagement during this latest eruption crisis. Mahalo nui loa and mālama pono.

PICTURES WITH SANTA AT OV COMMUNITY CENTER
CHRISTMAS EVE, 1 P.M. TO 3 P.M.

See The Ka'u Calendar in the mail and in stands from Volcano
through Miloli'i. Also see stories daily on facebook and at
www.kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com

 

Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022

Punalu'u Coastline Access & Restorations Investigatory Subcommittee will give its report at the 

Wednesday, Dec. 14 public meeting of Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee at 5 p.m.

 in Nāʻālehu Community Center. Photo from County Planning Department

KA'Ū COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Community Center. Committees reporting at the meeting will be: Punalu'u Coastline Access & Restorations Investigatory Subcommittee; Green sands Coastline Access & Resources Investigatory Subcommittee; Pōhue Bay Coastline Access & Resources Subcommittee; and Kupuna Housing Investigatory Subcommittee.    

    Written testimony from the public may be submitted via email to cdp@hawaiicounty.gov or delivered in person to Hilo or Kona Planning Department by Monday, Dec. 12. During the meeting, Action Committee members are set to engage in "an exercise to establish priority implementation projects and interests. Discussion will include exploring mutual interests between action Committee members to create investigatory subcommittees and community liaison groups, as applicable. Joint initiatives with community members or partners are encouraged."

     See Kaʻū Community Development Plan, the meeting agenda, list of committee members and much more at https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/cdp/kau. Many documents related to Kaʻū Community Development Plan's creation and implementation can be seen at: https://records.hawaiconty.gov/Weblink/1/fol/9059/Row1.aspx. Documents can also be requested by calling 80-961-8288 or email cdp@hawaiicounty.gov.

Kanonone Waterhole at Pōhue Bay is an anchialine pond that hosts endemic and native species.

Photo by Shalan Crysdale

THE KAHKU-PŌHUE PUBLIC INPUT MEETING will be held this Saturday, Dec. 10 at Nāʻālehu Hongwanji from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. regarding protection and potential future use of the remote 16,451-acre Kahuku-Pōhue parcel acquired by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park earlier this year. Input from the public is encouraged. Nāʻālehu Hongwanji is at 95-5695 Mamalahoa Hwy. HVNP, Trust for Public Land and Hawai'i Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development are hosting the session.

 

Gov. Josh Green's new cabinet with Directors and Deputies for 14 government agencies convened on
Wednesday. Coming up are the selection of the chiefs for Department of Land & Natural Resources,
Department of Agriculture and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Photo from Office of Governor

DEPARTMENTS OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS chiefs will be announced by Gov. Josh Green later this month. He convened his first cabinet meeting Wednesday at the Hawai‘i State Capitol "to discuss immediate priorities and start tackling the state’s most pressing issues, including the state budget." Directors and Deputies for 14 state departments were assembled. Directors and Deputy Directors require confirmation by the state Senate. The tenure of those leading DLNR, DOA and DHHL during the Gov. David Ige administration, continue through January.

 Kaʻū Hawaiian Home Lands are outlined in red.

NO HOUSING IS PLANNED ON KA'Ū HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS with any of the $600 million sent to DHHL for housing from State of Hawai'i. On Hawai'i Island, 40 houses will be built in Honomu, north of Hilo and 400 units in Kona in Hawaiian Home Lands subdivisions at Laʻiʻōpua Village 1 and Laʻiʻōpua Village 2.
    Hawaiian Home Lands in Kaʻū are located at South Point, above Waiohinu and above Ninole and Punalu'u, plus houselots in Discovery Harbour.
     See the DHHL plan at dhhl.hawaii.gov/act279. See story on the plan in Monday's Ka'u News Briefs at: http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_12_05_archive.html

FISSURE THREE STOPPED FEEDING THE LAVA LOBE HEADED TOWARD SADDLE ROAD, and no longer threatens crossing it. The USGS 8 a.m. update on Thursday says, "The Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa continues with a major change overnight. The fissure 3 (F3) vent continues to erupt but the supply of lava appears to be much reduced this morning. Lava is overtopping channels near the vent with flows extending no farther than 2.5 mi (4 km) from the vent. The channels below this point appear drained of lava and probably no longer feed the main flow front.
    "As of 5:30 a.m. today, Dec. 8, the flow front was stalled about 1.7 mi (2.8 km) from the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road). The lava flow is now inactive for most of its lower length, but the flow front may appear to advance a little as it settles."

Fissure 3 vent lava is overtopping channels near the vent with flows extending no farther than 2.5 mi from the vent. The channels below this point appear drained of lava and probably no longer feed the main flow front. The lava front has stalled and is not expected to cross Saddle Road. USGS image by M. Patrick 

    Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates of approximately 120,000 tonnes per day (t/d) were measured on Dec. 4, and remain elevated. Volcanic gas is rising high and vertically into the atmosphere before being blown to the west at high altitude, generating vog downwind. Hawai'i Interagency Vog Information Dashboard has detailed information about vog: https://vog.ivhhn.org/. Forecasts for the dispersion of vog

can be found on the VMAP Vog Forecast Dashboard: http://weather.hawaii.edu/vmap/new/.
    USGS reported that "Tremor (a signal associated with subsurface fluid movement) continues beneath the currently active fissure. This indicates that magma is still being supplied to the fissure, and activity is likely to continue as long as we see this signal."
There is no active lava within Moku'āweoweo caldera nor the Southwest Rift Zone. "We do not expect any eruptive activity outside the Northeast Rift Zone," USGS concluded.
    See the most recent eruption map at: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/most-recent-mauna-loa-northeast-rift-zone-eruption-map
    See info on lava viewing: https://hawaii-county-volcano-hazards-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/ See streaming video of the fissure 3 fountains can be found at https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live.

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR KA'Ū'S EAST SHORES and up the coast has been issued by the National Weather Service through Friday evening. Areas affected include Upolu Point in North Kohala through the Hamakua Coast to South Point in Kaʻū. A High Surf Advisory means surf will be higher than normal, shore break, and dangerous currents can make swimming difficult and dangerous. "Beach-goers, swimmers, and surfers should exercise caution and heed all advice given by Ocean Safety Officials," is the advice of NWS.

See The Ka'u Calendar in the mail and in stands from Volcano
through Miloli'i. Also see stories daily on facebook and at
www.kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com