Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, May 5, 2023

History of koa canoe making is included in the Kapāpala Koa Canoe Management Area Draft Plan at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/dd8ec10467c94ae6b2dd7763789091f2/. DLNR seeks
 public comments on the plan.  Image from the Plan

KAPĀPALA KOA CANOE MANAGEMENT AREA Plan draft Environmental Assessment is online and public comments are due by June 7. The more than 1,257 acres at elevations of 3,640-5,100ft, with rain falling 60 to 80 inches a year, are managed by state Department of Land & Natural Resources' Forest Reserve System.
    Kapāpala Koa Canoe Management Area is covered entirely by a predominantly native forest. Surrounding lands are mostly covered in native forest, including Kaʻū Forest Reserve to the south and west, Kapāpala Forest Reserve to the north and west, and Kapāpala Ranch & Game Management Area with mixture of pastureland and forest lands, to the south and east.
See the Draft Plan and DLNR storymap on the place at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/dd8ec10467c94ae6b2dd7763789091f2/.
    The DLNR website notes that koa and other trees grow to massive size in the area. "The major focus of this plan is to implement a sustainable, long-term harvest operation to supply koa for the purposes of carving traditional koa canoes, while also protecting other natural and cultural resources, such as watershed values, native ecosystems, and threatened and endangered species."
    Comments can be sent to Andy Cullison, Hawaiʻi Island Forestry Planner Department of Land & Natural Resources 1151 Punchbowl Street #131 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813; or by email to james.a.cullison@hawaii.gov. Copies of the comments may be sent to the consultant: Ron Terry Geometrician Associates 10 Hina Street Hilo HI 96720 Or by email to rterry@hawaii.rr.com.

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MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park issued a statement encouraging everyone to seek a deeper understanding of Native Hawaiian culture and its importance. Hawai'i Volcanoes is offered as a resource, in person and virtually.
    For virtual visitation during Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month, the Park 
offers the following:
    The Language of the Land. This new storymap reveals the meaning behind cherished place names across the summit region of Kīlauea. For example, Wahinekapu, "sacred woman," is where steam billows from the earth. The volcanic steam is considered sacred especially to wāhine (women) who engage in steam ritual.

The steaming pali at Wahinekapu is seen in the distance behind the face of a kānaka maoli, Native Hawaiian man.
NPS Photo art

Cultural Resource Preservation. This new webpage offers a wealth of Hawaiian cultural stewardship, stories, and videos.
    ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Join the revitalization of the Hawaiian language. Learn common greetings and vowel pronunciation and pronunciation of Hawaiian place names.
    ʻIke Hana Noʻeau (Experience the Skillful Work). Watch a new season of this park-produced video series that shares authentic Hawaiian cultural practices.
    Moʻolelo. Learn about 10 ten moʻolelo. Some of these stories may be familar; others are lesser-known tales like that of Punaʻaikoaʻe, a chief of Oʻahu whose kinolau (supernatural body form) is represented in the koaʻe keʻa (white-tailed tropicbirds) that soar above Kīlauea caldera.
For in-person visitation during Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month, the Park offers the following:

    Let's Play Hū. Learn this game on Wednesday, May 10 from 10 a.m, to noon at the Ohia Wing across from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center. In the days of early Hawaiians, Hū, or top-spinning, was an absorbing activity for children but making hū with a kukui nut was equally engaging. The activity is one of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's ongoing 'Ike Hana Noʻeau (Experience the Skillful Work) Hawaiian cultural programs, co-sponsored by Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association and Friends of Ha
wai'i Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply.
   

Alya-Joy Kanehailua

The Battle of the Bitter Rain. It was a time of feathered capes, shark-toothed clubs, and long spears. A time when warring chiefs battled for control of the islands. One fierce battle took place partially within what is today Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Join retired park ranger Jay
Robinson as he transports attendees back to a time when control of the island of Hawai'i teetered on the brink at a place and time known as the Battle of the Bitter Rain. Part of Hawai'i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park programs and sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m.  in Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium   
    Living History at Kahuku: Nani O Kahuku. Re-live a day on the Kamehameha Schoolsʻ historic Kahuku Ranch on Saturday, May 27 for performances at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. The one-woman living history play is performed by Alya-Joy Kanehailua. The in-situ performance is based on a journal written by Hannah Piʻilani Jones, hapa-haole daughter of George Jones, who owned Kahuku Ranch from 1871 to 1887. Free, reservations are required. Email Wendy Vance, wendy_scott-vance@nps.gov to reserve a seat and for detailed directions.

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MILOLI'I -KAʻŪ  VOLLEYBALL CLUB HOSTS A TOURNAMENT ON SATURDAY, May 6, with some 16 teams from around the island and O'ahu. Organizer Kaimi Kaupiko says the gym will be open for free seating for the public. The one day event at the Robert Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala runs from 8 a.m. into the evening. Food will be available for sale as a fundraiser.

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OCEAN VIEW SKATEPARK IS MOVING FORWARD with a public meeting coming up on Tuesday, May 23 at Kahuku County Park pavilion. County Department of Parks & Recreation says it's in the process of selecting a contractor for the Environmental Assessment. According to County Council member Michelle Galimba, "10,000 is going into Parks & Rec CIP fund, to be held for the skatepark."

    The May 23rd meeting will be attended by Parks & Rec Director Murice Messina to give updates and answer questions. A statement from Parks & Rec says, ""We have some good news to pass along! Our projects team completed the Scope of Work yesterday and have started the contract selection process for the Oceanview Skate Park EA – if all goes well, we'll have the contractor selected this week. Mayor Roth already funded the project, so we're full speed ahead on the EA."

    A statement from Ocean View Skatepark Association says, "We would like to see the community come out for this meeting and get involved! Ocean View Skatepark Association is seeking volunteers for community outreach, fundraising, marketing, website, and grant writing.

    "We would like to see how we can incorporate some other things into this project like a bike/walking path into the project as well as a community garden/food forest.
      Contact Laura Roberts at 406-249-3351 to help in any area, and to share ideas and connections for assisting in developing the Ocean View Skatepark.

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JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA IS NEW HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM for the State of Hawai'i. Gov. Josh Green made the announcement Friday. Tokioka is a former member of Kaua'i County Council and state House of Representatives. He worked his way through the hotel industry in Hawai'i and on the mainland.
    Green said, "Director Tokioka is stepping up to help move forward important priorities for the state. He will immediately hit the ground running and foster collaboration amongst the various attached agencies at DBEDT."
    Tokioka is previous Director of state Airports Division. His nomination is subject to Advice and         

James Kunane Tokioka and Mary Alice Evans
 join Green cabinet. Photo from the Governor

Consent of the   Department of Transportation is expected to announce Tokioka's replacement at the Airports Division in the coming days.
    Outgoing nominee for DBEDT, Chris Sadayasu, will return to the Department of the Attorney General. His nomination was rejected by the Hawai'i Legislature. 
     A statement from the Governor's office said, "The search for the next Director of the Office of Planning  Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, May 4, 2023 Sustainable Development will continue in the coming weeks. Governor Green is committed to finding another qualified candidate who exemplifies the commitment to public service and the duties of the office, including land use, transit-oriented development, coastal zone management, climate adaptation, and other planning requirements for Hawaiʻi. In the meantime, current administrator Mary Alice Evans will serve as Acting Director of OPSD.
      Scott Glenn, whose nomination by Green was rejected by the Legislature, will take some time off to spend with family and will return to help the administration work on climate and environmental solutions, said the Governor's statement.

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, May 4, 2023

Most of Kapāpala Ranch, which is leased from the state, will be transferred to the state Department of
Agriculture from Department of Land & Natural Resources. Some mauka forest land leases will be given back to the state.
Photo from Kapāpala. See www.kapapalaranch.weebly.com

 
KAPĀPALA RANCH WILL SEE MOST OF ITS LAND TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, according to agreements worked out this week between state Department of Land & Natural Resources, and state Department of Agriculture. The land is located mauka of Highway 11 between Pāhala and Volcano.

     Transfer of lands used for cattle ranching at Kapāpala and several other local ranches in Kaʻū and around the state were a hot topic at the 2023 Hawai'i Legislature. Ranchers said they would rather lease from the Department of Agriculture, which could better understand their challenges and the long term investment made in reservoirs and other infrastructure, as well as appreciate that many cattlemen are able to help steward land as partners with the state. 

Nēnē, the state bird, living at Kapāpala Ranch.
Photo from Kapāpala Ranch

    The plan adopted by Board of Land & Natural Resources and Board of Agriculture returns some 7,000 acres in the upper reaches of Kapāpala Ranch to DLNR for forestry management. Kapāpala will retain some 27,000 acres under a lease with Department of Agriculture.

     The Legislature became involved in this year in the issue on which department leases out various state owned land. Hawai'i Island Sen. Lorraine Inouye introduced Senate Bill 77 to transfer a number of state owned ranchlands from DLNR to Department of Ag. The bill passed the Senate, where Inouye chairs the Water & Land Committee. In the House of Representatives, Water & Land Chair Linda Ichiyama, who replaced former Chair David Tarnas this year, said she would support the passage of Bill 77 in the 2024 Legislature should the administration fail to take care of the transfer this year.

     Earlier this year, Dawn Chang, new Chair of the state Board of Land & Natural Resources and chief of DLNR, visited Kapāpala managed by Lani and Bill Petrie. She also visited a large ranch on this island managed by K K, Jerry and Jason Moniz which is also to be transferred to Department of Agriculture.

     Chang said, "I will share personally, I was very impressed by their stewardship. They are managing these lands really well. Many of their lands straddle, or their boundaries straddle, forestry lands, but there's no doubt in my mind that these are good stewards. They are not wasting. They are taking care of the land. What I didn't want to see happen is that the land gets subdivided into gentleman's estates." She said that not subdividing them will be condition of the executive order transferring the land to Dept. of Ag.

Reservoirs at Kapāpala Ranch. Photo from Kapāpala Ranch

      Lani Petrie pointed out that Kapāpala is 163 years old and started handing back leased ranch land for forestry in 1906, again in 1916 for Hawai'i National Park, also in 1930 for Kapāpala Forest Reserve and in 1990 for Kapāpala Koa Canoe Area.  She said the ranch supports forestation. "You can't run any livestock when you want to reforest." 

    She suggested that much could be learned from lands already returned to DLNR by assessing their management and contribution to improving supporting the watershed and forestry.

      Hawai'i Cattlemen's Council representative Nicole Galase said that transferring lands from DLNR to Department of Ag does not take land out of conservation for agriculture, since it is already used for pasture. She said that most ranchers are not looking to deforest lands and are looking to add trees and to increase forestry where it makes sense to protect the land while continuing their operations. 

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The late Monty Richards, of Kahua Ranch, a
 mentor in the Agricultural Leadership Program.
Photo from ALP

THE AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION is recruiting applicants for its signature training initiative, the Agricultural Leadership Program. 

    It is a multidisciplinary, statewide program that brings together promising leaders from Hawai'i's agricultural sector. The Agricultural Leadership Foundation offers participants an in-depth look at Hawai'i's diverse agricultural systems through site visits that provide insights into Hawai'i's food system supply chain, transportation, value-added production, policymaking, and more.
    Applications are due June 15.For more information and to apply, visit https://www.agleaderhi.org/agricultural-leadership-program/.

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THE NATIVE AMERICAN AGRICULTURE FUND is taking on survey on food access, food sovereignty

and food Security. The aim is to help determine resources needed to improve access to nutritious food for native communities. The survey closes June 30. Findings from the last survey conducted in February 2021 can be viewed in the report, Reimagining Hunger Responses in Times of Crisis.
     Native American Agriculture Fund works with Food Research and Action Center to improve nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the U.S. through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. 

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NATIONAL FARMWORKERS JOBS PROGRAM is available in Hawai'i. A program of the U.S. Department of Labor, it provides job training and employment assistance for farmworkers and their families with on-the-job training, salary reimbursement to keep farmworkers employed during off-seasons, training to increase an employee's skills and credentials to enhance a company's overall operations, and more. To learn more, visit the NFJP website or make direct contact at (808) 344-5550 or via email at cs@meoinc.org.

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Closeup of a Kaʻū silversword blooming with a native yellow-faced bee on the center blossom. NPS Photo/J.Wei. 

A NEW KA'U SILVERSWORD SITE SOWS PROMISE in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park's remote upper Kahuku Unit. A statement released Wednesday says that Kaʻū 'āhinahina, "the critically endangered Kaʻū silversword is staging a comeback within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, thanks to decades of collaborative conservation efforts and a stroke of luck."

Ka'u Silversword, the 'āhinahina. NPS Photo

    Kilohana is a high-elevation haven on the slopes of Mauna Loa where National Park Service biologists and partner agencies have re-established the endemic silver-leafed plants. A few years ago, a member of the park's fence crew looked down and noticed a wee rosette-shaped plant growing in the dry, rocky ground. It looked like a tiny 'āhinahina (silversword). It was a chance discovery that confirmed Kaʻū silverswords (Argyroxiphium kauense), while exceedingly rare, were present in the park's upper Kahuku Unit miles from any known populations. Five more plants were found during follow up surveys. "That was one of the best texts I've ever received," recalls Sierra McDaniel, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's natural resources program manager. "We were already reintroducing plants at two sites on Mauna Loa, but to think there could be a third population really galvanized our enthusiasm," she said.

    While Kilohana and the other remote, protected areas are closed to the public, a new digital storymap produced by the park shares the story of intense effort and collaboration across generations to protect the Kaʻū 'āhinahina and the ecosystems in which they grow.

Sierra McDaniel works with critically
endangered silverswords. NPS photo

    At Kilohana, park biologists and conservation partners planted 330 young silverswords and more than 152,000 seeds within a protected fenced area between October 2021 and October 2022. So far, the initial survival rate of the plants is 97% which is good news for a plant that blooms once, then dies.
    "One of the reasons the initial survival rate is so high is because Kilohana is fenced and that prevents invasive non-native goats, sheep and pigs from coming in and devouring the 'āhinahina," McDaniel said. "Fences are our best ally in protecting endemic plants and ecosystems."
    For more information about 'āhinahina in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, please visit the new storymap and park website.
    Other agencies working hard alongside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to save Kaʻū silverswords include the University of Hawaiʻi Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit; the U.S. Geological Survey; Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife; Hawaiian Silversword Foundation at the University of Arizona; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office; Kupu; Three Mountain Alliance; and the Hawaiʻi Plant Extinction Prevention Program.

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ALA KAHAKAI NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL IS APPROVED BY HAWAI'I PACIFIC PARKS ASSOCIATION, to be represented in its visitor center park stores on this island, and online. The partnership means Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association will develop and carry Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail sales items and will be positioned to help support Ala Kahakai programs and projects through HPPA donations.
    Nearly half of the Ala Kakahai Trail is in Ka'u. The trail runs between and through four national park sites. These are: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park and Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site.
    HPPA Executive Direct Mel Boehl says, “We are excited to have Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail join our partnership. This was an easy yes for HPPA! The trail is an integral part of Hawaii's national park system and of Hawaiian history. This partnership will allow us to expand our interpretive products and services, which will further our mission to inspire and connect visitors and the community to national park sites in the Pacific region, and to Hawaiian culture. We look forward to working with Superintendent Aric Arakaki and his team to support their interpretive programs.”

    Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail was established in 2000 and is administered by the National Park Service. This "trail by the sea" traverses wahi pana (storied landscapes), ancient Hawaiian sites, and over 200 ahupuaʻa (traditional land divisions). It follows 175 miles of Hawaiʻi Island’s diverse coast.
    Superintendent Aric Arakaki says, "Mahalo a nui loa to the HPPA board of directors, staff, and NPS parks in Hawai'i for welcoming the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail into this partnership ‘ohana! Hawai'i’s trails have been in continuous use from when they were created centuries ago till today. We’re looking forward to working with HPPA to enhance, educate, and engage visitors and our communities on and with our parks and trail."

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Gov. Josh Green delivered presentations on Hawai'i's kauhale housing program for the homeless and on solving the challenges of
health care delivery at the Milken Institute Global Conference in LA. Photo from the Governor's Office

TINY HOMES FOR HOMELESS AND DELIVERING BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE THROUGH PRIMARY CARE were two topics of presentations by Gov. Josh Green at the 26th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, April 29 - May 3. Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path "to a meaningful life, with a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health." Its founder is Michael Milken, the financier who made his fortune in high yield "junk" bonds, and later through investing in health and education, followed by philanthropy.

    The Conference, with its theme Advancing a Thriving World, brought together hundreds of leaders from around the globe to tackle critical issues facing society. The leaders come from all disciplines, including celebrities and entrepreneurs like Snoop Dog, to medical journalists like Sanjay Gupta and leaders of

Michael Milken, founder of the think tank
Milken Institute and its Global Conference,
which featured Gov. Josh Green this week.

international non-profits, corporations, and governments. Topics included gene therapies, renewable energy, AI, infrastructure, DEI, and FinTech.

      Presentations ranged from How 10,000 Communities Can Build Resilient and Equitable Economies to Investing in a Resilient Food System to Build a Better Tomorrow. All of the public presentations and panel discussions are available free online. See: https://milkeninstitute.org/ and https://milkeninstitute.org/events/global-conference-2023/speakers

      Green, whose statement noted that he is the only U.S. governor who is also a physician, emphasized the need for healthcare reform to increase efficiency and accessibility for all.
    "Housing is health care," said Green during a live interview, as he introduced Hawai'i's kauhale program of building tiny houses for those who are houseless. He stated that average spending on emergency room care for a homeless person in Hawaiʻi is $82,000 per person per year. Putting people in tiny homes following discharge from the hospital for follow-up care will reduce that cost from between 43 percent to 73 percent, depending on the severity of the patient's illness. These follow-up services will dramatically reduce ER visits and bring the average cost down to $21,000 a year. The savings can be reinvested in our communities, he said.

Gov. Josh Green, from the  program of the
Milken Institute's 2023 Global Conference.

    Green encouraged conference attendees to examine investment opportunities in health systems that have workforce shortages. He noted that many health care facilities wind up housing patients in need of long-term when beds in long-term-care homes are not available. "People who invest in that way are really investing in something that's more efficient than probably the heart pills we're putting into people's bodies," said Green.
    A statement from the Governor's office said Green "emphasized the need to bridge political gaps across the nation to focus less on bickering and more on leading with compassion and helping people in need across red and blue states."
    He discussed a planned pitch to President Joe Biden for pilot housing projects, three for blue states and three for red, to test reduction in Medicaid costs and promote better housing and health care options using the kauhale model. The statement says, "Kauhale is a new approach to offering housing for neighbors who have experienced persistent homelessness. As a community-centered model, various forms of kauhale can provide previously houseless people an opportunity to thrive in a community they can call home."
    He also stated that n Hawai'i, his loan forgiveness legislation for health care professionals has been approved.
    See the video of Green's presentation: Healthcare of the Future, Part 1: Governing America: A Conversation with Hawai'i Governor Josh Green' posted by the Milken Institute. Milken Institute is based in Santa Monica, Washington D.C., New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.  The Global Conference was based at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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HAWAI'I HAS 2023's SMALLEST DRUG PROBLEM, according to a WalletHub report released Wednesday. The report states that Hawai'i, among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., has the least drug use and addiction and is the second best when comes to drug use issues and rehab. It also ranked Hawai'i on the following: 

    41st – Share of Teenagers Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month

    48th – Share of Adults Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month    

    51st – Opioid Pain Reliever Prescriptions per 100 People
    46th – Drug Overdose Deaths per Capita
    30th – Drug Arrests per Capita
    47th – Share of Adults Who Couldn't Get Treatment for Illicit Drug                      Use in the Past Year
    49th – Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100,000 People (Age                 12+) Using Illicit Drugs

   Concerning the national drug problem, WalletHub stated: "There were more than 103,500 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in November 2022. It’s crucial for the government to address this issue and prevent it from getting any worse. The government must also deal with the changing landscape of drug use, as newer drugs like fentanyl become more widespread. In fact, the DEA seized the equivalent of more than 410 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2022."

    To view the full report, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150

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