The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 22, 2024

Little fire ants, a risk to agricultural workers and other people, are targeted in the Clift Tsuji Bill that unanimously passed the Hawai'i Legislature but may be vetoed by Gov. Josh Green.

A BIOSECURITY AG BILL IS ONE OF THE 2024 STATE LEGISLATURE BILLS LIKELY TO BE VETOED BY GOV. JOSH GREEN. The state Department of Agriculture biosecurity measure, which was passed unanimously by the Legislature this year, is designed to help keep invasive species and other pests out of Hawai'i and to control those already here in order to increase food production. The Legislature authorized $18.8 million to fund House Bill 2619. The Hawai'i Senate issued a statement calling the measure historic. The bill also honors the late Hawai'i Island legislator Clift Tsuji, who fought to solve the invasive species problem while serving in the House of Representatives. The legislation is called The Clift Tsuji Bill.

The narrative says, "The legislature recognizes the significance of invasive species on Hawai'i’s agriculture, environment, natural resources, public health, and economy and supports the biosecurity program under the Department of Agriculture.

The Clift Tsuji bill may be vetoed by
Gov. Josh Green. The late Tsuji worked
with Kaʻū Coffee farmers and was keynote
at an annual Kaʻū Farm Bureau meeting.

"The legislature further finds that the Department of Agriculture has created the biosecurity program to fight pests and prohibited or restricted organisms without a permit on several fronts by:
"Administering pre-entry measures to minimize the risk 4 of pests and prohibited or restricted organisms without a permit entering the State;
"Conducting port-of-entry inspections to detect and quarantine or destroy pests upon arrival; and
Administering post-entry measures to mitigate the establishment of pests in the State.
"The Department of Agriculture has also supported the growth of Hawai'i’s agriculture industry by attempting to reduce the State’s dependency on imported agricultural products that may contain pests."

The funding would not only support more inspections of imports but would be used to develop more agriculture so less food has to be imported. Development of new seed types and pest resistant varieties of food crops is part of the plan.

Hawai'i Island Rep. Kirsten Kahalo noted that some of the invasives targeted are coconut rhinoceros beetles, little fire ants, two-lined spittle bugs, and more. "This legislation will let our keiki play free without the fear of being bitten by little fire ants. It will keep our picturesque Hawaiian scenes with coconut trees proudly displayed across Hawaiʻi. This effort helps our state make biosecurity a priority.”

The Governor's staff released his Veto Rationale for the Biosecurity Bill on Friday: "The Governor strongly supports the intent of this legislation and continues to work with the DOA on invasive pest control and eradication biosecurity efforts. Part of this ongoing effort is to determine the appropriate level of funding that is feasible and executable by the DOA. With existing challenges to staffing vacancies and existing appropriations for biosecurity, the dollar amount in this bill will be assessed to ensure effective impact of funds for biosecurity."

Green has until July 10 to veto the bill or it becomes law.

A BILL THAT WOULD LOOSEN LEASING RESTRICTIONS ON OWNER-BUILT RESIDENCES ON

FARM LAND is up for veto by Gov. Josh Green. House Bill 1633 would repeal the leasing restriction on owner-builders who obtain an owner-builder exemption to act as their own contractor and who build or improve residential or farm buildings or structures on property they own or lease and do not offer the buildings or structures for sale.

The Governor's staff released his Veto Rationale on Friday: "Construction projects must maintain quality and safety standards, which is why licensed contractors are generally required. This bill would lift restrictions on owner-builders and create a broader exemption so that unlicensed contractors could be used for rental projects. There are concerns about how increased unlicensed activity would affect consumers. The bill also removes the requirement that structures be built for personal use, which increases the possibility such structures are built for other purposes such as short-term rentals."

Green has until July 10 to veto the bill or it becomes law.

A NEW MAHI 'AI AGRICULTURAL LOAN PROGRAM is offered by Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
OHA's Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund is introducing a new program to support Native Hawaiian farmers on Hawaiʻi Island and across Hawaiʻi. In addition to low interest rates, new borrowers have the option of deferring their loan payments for the first six months without incurring additional interest. For more information on the Mahi ʻAi Agricultural Loan Program, visit their website, email NHRLF@ohaloanfund.org, or call the OHA office in East Hawaiʻi (Hilo) at (808) 933-3106 or West Hawaiʻi (Kona) at (808) 327-9525.

Friday, June 21, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 21, 2024

Youth advocates sued the state over transportation emissions harming the environment
and their cultural practices. They settled the case this week. Photo from the Governor's Office

GOV. JOSH GREEN LAUDED YOUTH ADVOCATES FOR CLIMATE RESPONSIBILITY on Thursday, during the announcement of the settlement of their lawsuit against the state Department of Transportation for emissions that pollute the environment. The announcement said the Navahine v. Hawai'i Department of Transportation constitutional climate case is the world's first youth-led case seeking to address transportation emissions. It was filed by youth ages nine to 19 in 2022 in First Circuit Court. Judge John Tonaki of the Hawai'i State Environmental Court accepted the settlement on Thursday morning.
Earth Justice and Children’s Trust noted that transportation ranks as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Hawai'i, and in the United States.

State Environmental Judge John Tonaki
accepted the settlement between youth
plaintiffs and state.

The settlement acknowledges the constitutional rights of Hawai'i youth to a life-sustaining climate and confirms the commitment by HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawai'i’s transportation system to achieve the state's goal of net-negative emissions by 2045.
"The passion demonstrated by these young people in advocating for a healthy, sustainable future for their generation and those to come, is laudable," said the Governor. "This settlement informs how we as a state can best move forward to achieve life-sustaining goals and further, we can surely expect to see these and other youth in Hawai'i continue to step up to build the type of future they desire."
Thirteen youth from across the Hawaiian Islands brought the case in June 2022, asserting their rights to a safe and healthy climate and asking the Hawai'i state government to take action to meet the climate emergency and enable Hawaii's paradigm shift to a climate-safe, zero-emissions transportation system.
Navahine is also the first settlement agreement in which state government departments and agencies have agreed to work with youth plaintiffs to address concerns regarding constitutional issues arising from climate change, and commit to implementing specific plans and programs designed to decarbonize a state transportation system and reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fossil fuel dependence.
The statement from the Governor says that the agreement reaffirms Hawa Hawai'i’s commitment to move from a fossil fuel dependent transportation system to a cleaner, safer system with more electric vehicles and more options for walking, cycling, and public transit. "The agreement offers an exemplary

Several of the youth plaintiffs' families grow kalo on Hawai'i Island. Photo by Elyse Butler for Earth Justice

model for decarbonizing transportation systems across the country and the world, including provisions and ongoing action by HDOT." It lists the following actions:
Establishing a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan within one year of the agreement, laying the foundation and roadmap to decarbonize Hawaiʻi's transportation system within the next 20 years.
Creating a lead unit and responsible positions within HDOT to coordinate the mission of GHG reduction throughout the agency; oversee climate change mitigation and adaptation for the highways program;

Plaintiff Kawena K was nine when the

suit was filed. Her family grows kalo,

sweet potato, ginger, ʻōlena (turmeric).

Photo by Elyse Butler for Earth Justice

and ensure implementation of the Complete Streets policy of building and upgrading public highways for all users, ages, and abilities.
Establishing a volunteer youth council to advise on HDOT mitigation and adaptation commitments in the years to come.
Improving the state transportation infrastructure budgeting process to prioritize reduction of GHG and vehicles miles traveled (VMT) and transparently analyze and disclose the GHG and VMT impacts of each project and the overall program.
Making immediate, ambitious investments in clean transportation infrastructure, including completing the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks in five years, and dedicating a minimum of $40 million to expanding the public electric vehicle charging network by 2030.We will continue to keep you updated as the Green administration takes further action to reduce carbon emissions in Hawai'i, combat climate change, and protect the environment.
Children have successfully filed climate change cases in Germany and Montana. A suit involving all of the European nations was dismissed. The verdict in a case in South Korea is expected this year.

GETTING OFF FOSSIL FUEL BY SWITCHING TO SOLAR was one of the many ideas brought up at the USDA workshop with Kaʻū farmers on Friday in Pāhala. John Cross, Chair of Kaʻū Soil & Water District, noted that the there is no electricity running for 13 miles along Ka'alaiki, the upper road between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu. He said that the USDA's funding program for solar could help coffee farmers switch from diesel to solar to run their mills and roasters. There are some 73 farms in the Pear Tree and Cloud Rest lands without electricity, plus more along Ka'alaiki. See more on the workshop in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs.

HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BACKPACK DRIVE is open now through July 19. The

islandwide backpack drive is for island keiki in need. New, unfilled backpacks can be dropped off at any Hawai‘i Island police station now through July 19, including the police station in Nāʻālehu.
Backpacks are the most requested non-food item by charities in Hawaiʻi. The donated backpacks will be distributed to children at women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and transitional housing facilities around the island.
Since 2008, HPD has teamed up with Hope Services Hawaiʻi to collect school backpacks for children who cannot afford them. Last year more than 700 backpacks were collected throughout the island’s police stations and distributed by Hope Services. "Your contribution to help a child in need is greatly appreciated," says the HPD statement.

Kaʻū Little League Majors beat North Hawai'i on Friday, winning the first district game for Kaʻū in some 20 years.
Photo from Kaʻū Little League

KAʻŪ LITTLE LEAGUE REPORTS MAKING HISTORY ON FRIDAY. "Our Majors team won their first district game in çlose to 20 years! It was a great game!"
Kaʻū Majors beat North Hawai'i in the bottom of the 6th inning. They won 7-6. They play Hilo
Saturday at 10 a.m. at Pualani Park.

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs June 20, 2024

Kaulunani forestry grants are available from state Department of Land & Natural Resources for Arbor Day events, growing and distributing trees and fighting invasive species. See dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/grants/
Photo from DLNR

PROMOTE TREES IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, LEARN AND PLAY. That is the purpose of Kaulunani forestry grants for Hawai‘i communities and organizations that are encouraged to apply. State Department of Land & Natural Resources Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program provides support to entities that promote. protect and enhance community forests in their community spaces.
Grants come in two categories, General Community, and Arbor Day 2024. Eligible applicants include schools, religious centers, community groups, state and county agencies, and organizations. Projects can

Kaulunani promotes tree distribution for planting.
Photo from DLNR

comprise community celebrations on or around Arbor Day on Saturday, Nov. 2 and also tree plantings and giveaways, tree nursery establishment or capacity building, invasive species management for trees, and more. Deadline to appy for both categories is Monday, July 15.
Awards are $3,000 – $5,000 for Arbor Day 2024 Grants and $5,000 – $15,000 for General Community Grants. Applications are due on or before July 15. Kaulunani staff will host online question and answer sessions to provide more detail about these funding opportunities. For additional information and to apply: dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/grants/
Also contact Heather McMillen, Kaulunani Program Coordinator, at heather.l.mcmillen@hawaii.gov.

See https://www.sare.org/resources/building-sustainable-
farms-ranches-and-communities/

THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 21 IS THE KAʻŪ COFFEE GROWERS, FARMERS & RANCHERS RESOURCE WORKSHOP, sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture from 3 p,m. to 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center. USDA invites coffee growers and other agricultural producers to learn about USDA programs and practices at the free session. Spanish translation will be provided. Pāhala Community Center is at 96-1149 Kamani St.

PETROLOGISTS GATHER TO UNDERSTAND CHEMISTRY OF KILAUEA VOLCANO. That's the topic of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article is by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate student Rose Gallo:
During the most active portion of their life cycle, called the shield stage, Hawaiian volcanoes erupt frequently and mostly produce a rock type called basalt. Basaltic lava flows formed during the shield stage make up the majority of the rock of the Hawaiian Islands. Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, is a modern example of a volcano in the shield-building stage.

Color photograph of scientists examining a map in the field

Participants of the May 2024 Kīlauea petrology workshop discuss the local geology near lava flows that erupted during the lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea in 2018. USGS photo by A. Lerner.

Kīlauea primarily erupts basaltic lava flows during its frequent eruptions, such as the most recent brief eruption on June 3, 2024. In addition to being dominantly basalts, Kīlauea's lavas are limited in their chemical makeup by a consistent and predictable pattern of mineral formation. Magmas entering the volcano deep beneath the surface have a narrow range of chemical compositions; with time, those compositions change cyclically. As magma is stored, first in the magma reservoirs beneath the summit caldera, and sometimes later in smaller magma reservoirs beneath the volcano's rift zones, it cools and minerals begin to form.
Minerals—such as olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxenes—form from elements in the magma. The quantities of each element are relatively fixed as part of the mineral's structure. When the minerals form, they deplete those elements from the remaining magma. Formation of the same minerals in the same order under similar conditions of temperature and pressure results in the generation of very similar magmas over time in Kīlauea's magma chambers.
The consistent nature of lava chemistry at Kīlauea both helps and hinders us in understanding the volcano's behavior. The predictability and limited range of magma compositions at Kīlauea allows for reliable forecasting of the style of future eruptions, and thus the associated hazards, compared to most other volcanoes.
The consistent pattern of chemical changes in Kīlauea's magmas also provides a robust data set to validate tools designed to simulate the chemical behavior of magma. However, distinguishing between the deposits of past eruptions can be very difficult because of the limited variability in lava flow compositions. It can be challenging to answer questions such as: How many eruptions produced a particular set of lava flows? Did two lava flows formed at different times come from the same magma reservoir?

Color photograph of scientists in a lava tube

Participants of the May 2024 Kīlauea petrology workshop, hosted in Hilo, visited the Kaumana Caves State Park during one of their field trips. The lava tubes at Kaumana Caves State Park formed during the 1880-1881 eruption of Mauna Loa, which occurred on the Northeast Rift Zone. During the Mauna Loa 1880-1881 eruption, lava flows approached Hilo; read more about this eruption here: pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2019/5129/sir20195129.pdf.

USGS photo by A. Lerner.

In May of this year, a group of volcano geochemists and petrologists (scientists who study the chemistry, textures, and origins of volcanic rocks) met in Hilo to discuss how to improve our understanding of magma storage and evolution at Kīlauea with these considerations in mind. The meeting, organized by Dr. Tom Shea from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa included USGS scientists as well as professors and graduate students from Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and France.
Participants shared information on the current state of knowledge at Kīlauea and about potentially useful techniques for chemical analysis of Kīlauea rocks. Some of the topics of the meeting included: 1) discussing how chemical elements that occur at very low concentrations in the earth could be used to identify similarities and differences between lavas, 2) comparing several types of scientific software used to model the pattern of lava compositions observed at Kīlauea and considering needed improvements, and 3) sharing methods for using the concentrations of elements and molecules such as water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur to make interpretations about the depths at which magma was stored before eruption.
Participants in the meeting also had the chance to observe Kīlauea's volcanic features in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the lower East Rift Zone. The combined workshop and field experiences led to productive discussions on future avenues of research in these areas. Just a couple of weeks after the workshop, Kīlauea erupted basaltic lava flows again and petrologists are eagerly examining the geochemistry and minerals in the new lava for clues about the magma's journey.

USGS Volcano Activity Updates
Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Following the June 3 eruption, magma has been repressurizing the storage system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region, activating earthquakes in the upper East Rift Zone and in the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu. About 225 events occurred in this region over the past week, which is about half the number of the previous week. Inflationary ground deformation has also continued in the summit region. The most recent summit sulfur dioxide emission rate measured was approximately 50 tonnes per day on June 10, 2024. Currently, there are no signs of an imminent eruption, but changes can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.
Five earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.1 earthquake 10 km (6 mi) NE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on June 16 at 12:08 p.m. HST, a M3.1 earthquake 15 km (9 mi) ESE of Nāʻālehu at 36 km (22 mi) depth on June 15 at 7:40 a.m. HST, a M3.3 earthquake 15 km (9 mi) ESE of Nāʻālehu at 36 km (22 mi) depth on June 15 at 3:31 a.m. HST, a M4.1 earthquake 15 km (9 mi) ESE of Nāʻālehu at 36 km (22 mi) depth on June 14 at 1:43 p.m. HST, and a M2.7 earthquake 14 km (8 mi) S of Fern Forest at 6 km (3 mi) depth on June 13 at 7:18 a.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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