Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 3, 2014

A bill being considered at the state Legislature would provide funding to research and develop methods to control the macadamia felted coccid, which is damaging trees in Ka`u. Photo from testimony by Randy Cabral to the state Legislature.

HAWAI`I ONE IS AN AGRICULTURAL SOIL CONSERVATION planning tool under preliminary development with assistance from the Ulupono Initiative. Dwayne Okamoto, Executive Director of Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. on O`ahu, is traveling to meetings of all of the Soil & Water Conservation District member groups around the state to assess interest in the project. He spoke to Ka`u members yesterday at a meeting held at Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ conference room in Pahala. He explained that the idea comes from Idaho One, a working template that helps farmers and ranchers plan for their lands, shaving off time and sometimes the expense of consultants before taking their plans to government agencies and nonprofit organizations that help to finalize conservation plans. The computer program asks a series of questions, directing the farmer and rancher into planning for their property. Okamoto said he has received positive feedback from other conservation districts around the state. With enough interest, the project could be funded for Hawai`i.

Dwayne Okamoto

      See more on the Idaho One Plan at oneplan.org. See more on the Ulupono Initiative at ulupono.com.
      On hand were staff members Jennifer Lopez-Reavis and Amelia Drury, who work out of Hilo and are responsible for Soil & Water Conservation District services for Waiakea, Puna and Ka`u.
      Ka`u agriculture was represented by the chair of Ka`u Soil & Water Conservation District, Brenda Iokepa-Moses, of Ka`u Coffee Mill; vice chair John Cross, of Olson Trust; Ka`u’s secretary-treasurer, who is a retired school teacher and Volcano resident, Amos Meyers; and director Lani Petrie, of Kapapala Ranch. Other directors are Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm & Ranch and associate director Phil Becker, of Aikane Plantation Coffee.
      The Soil & Water Conservation District is enabled by the U.S. Soil and Water Conservation Act of 1935 which enables “local communities to take positive action to collectively protect our nation’s soil and water resources,” says one of the Hawai`i conservation district websites. “Currently, there are nearly 3,000 local districts established throughout the nation to promote local efforts to install the Best Management Practices to prevent erosion and water pollution from agricultural, forestry and urban activities.” The website explains that the local districts “are self-governing sub-units of state government.” Each district is managed by five directors who volunteer their time to assist land users with implementation of resource conservation plans. To implement the programs, the districts enlist assistance from other government agencies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services provides expertise and staffing to districts. The University of Hawai`i Cooperative Extension Service and state Department of Health provide technical assistance.

      Lopez-Reavis said that Ka`u residents with farms and ranches of any size can contact her for free services at 933-8350. She said that Soil & Water Conservation District staff is responsible for implementing the county grading ordinance, which applies when an agriculturalist plans on moving more than 100 cubic yards of soil – one acre. She explained that such land movement requires either a county grubbing permit or a conservation plan. An approved conservation plan, which her agency helps to create, exempts the farm or ranch from the grubbing permit. She said that such plans help to prevent flooding and erosion that could affect a neighbor. She said the rule of thumb is the natural entrance or exit for water crossing land cannot be changed. A plan can help route the water to ensure stable land for agriculture.

      Meetings of the Ka`u Soil & Water Conservation District are held the first Wednesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchard conference room on the corner of Pikake and Maile Streets in Pahala. To confirm meeting times, call 933-8350.
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WOOD VALLEY WATER COOPERATIVE has new board members, who all represent small farms which receive their potable water from the co-op. President is Ron Neeley. Vice President is Tuie Strong. Secretary-Treasurer is Vanessa Guy. Other board members are Jay Failing, MIchael Schwabe and John Weist. The co-op is also a member of the Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative District, which is working on restoration of old water tunnels from sugar plantation days and distribution of water for agriculture. The Wood Valley Water Cooperative maintains a state-licensed drinking water system and is planning to add agricultural water with separate lines, as funding becomes available and water sources on state lands are improved. For more information, contact Neely at rgn@isp.com. The Wood Valley Water Cooperative will hold a public meeting at Wood Valley Ranch on South Road at 9 a.m. this Saturday, April 5.

Macadamia felted coccids cover a tree branch. Photo from UH-CTAHR  

MACADAMIA FELTED COCCID RESEARCH AND CONTROL is the subject of a bill being considered by the state Legislature. HB1931 would appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture to research and develop methods for the prevention and treatment of the pest. 

      According to testimony of Randy Mochizuki, Crop Control Superintendant at Royal Hawaiian Orchards in Pahala, the coccids, which were first found in 2009 damaging a few trees, have spread to 3,300 acres and destroyed or damaged a substantial number of trees.
      “If we don’t find a cost-effective control, it may lead to the demise of our Pahala orchard and 125 jobs,” Mochizuki said. “But, it may also severely impact our company as a whole and another 150 jobs.”
      Mochizuki said the pest has the potential of destroying other macadamia orchards in the state, affecting 1,500 acres, 570 farms and a $35-38 million industry.

      Randy Cabral, Senior Vice President of Operations for Royal Hawaiian Orchards, testified that, while the company and others have contributed $95,000 to UH-CTAHR to conduct MFC research, more funding is needed. “Currently, very little is known about the life cycle or vulnerabilities of the pest. In its native Australia, macadamia nut growers use considerable pesticides to control the MFC, but in Hawai`i, because we typically don’t use insecticides, we don’t have the equipment and resources to apply these types of pesticides to large, mature trees. Some pesticides seem to work but require adequate rainfall or adequate irrigation, neither of which is available.”

      The MFC has no significant natural predators in Hawai`i as compared to Australia, Cabral said.
      Cabral pointed out that macadamia farming is a vital source of employment in Ka`u, which has among the highest unemployment rate in the state. “Over 50 percent of Hawai`i’s macadamia tree acres are located in the Ka`u district, the area hardest hit by the MFC,” Cabral said.
      “We want you to know that without intervention, we have little chance of successfully continuing macadamia farming,” Cabral concluded.

Paul Alston

      John Cross, land manager for the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, testified that while the organization has contributed funding to research in partnership with Royal Hawaiian Orchards, “We need all the help we can get in trying to learn more about this pest and bring it under control. It is truly devastating and could threaten the entire Hawaiian macadamia nut industry.”
      The Hawai`i Macadamia Nut Association asks concerned farmers, orchard owners, workers and others to contact their legislators about the issue. Interested parties can find contact information and provide testimony at capitol.hawaii.gov.
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“THE BATTLE IS FAR FROM OVER,” said Honolulu attorney Paul Alston regarding a decision allowing the state to reduce Medicaid health care benefits for migrants covered under the Compact of Free Association. COFA allows Palau, Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia citizens, including Ka`u’s Marshallese community, to live and work in the United States in exchange for U.S. control of extensive strategic land and water in the Pacific Ocean.

      “We’re going to take this to the end. We will not give up,” Alston said, vowing to take it to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary, according to a story in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

      Alston said that if benefits are cut, migrants will be forced into very costly emergency room treatment, “and some you’re just going to kill. How crazy and how immoral is that?

Wes Awana

      “We got these people in our state who are allowed by federal law to be here from birth to death and the (health care) program that the state is offering as a substitute is garbage,” Alston told reporter Kristen Consillio. “All of this was done by the Lingle administration in a callous disregard for the health needs of this population. One would hope the Abercrombie administration would take a more economically rational and compassionate view as to how we treat these people who live among us.”
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KA`U HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VARSITY SOFTBALL team fell to the Hilo Vikings yesterday. Scores were 1-12. Hilo High School pitcher Aliesa Kaneshiro had eight strikeouts against the Trojans. Hitting singles were Shylee Tamura and Kamalani Fujikawa. Next game for the Trojans Softball is tomorrow, when Ka`u hosts the Kamehameha Warriors at 3 p.m.

WES AWANA OFFERS FREE `UKULELE LESSONS tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Volcano Art Center Gallery’s porch in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Everyone is welcome to this Aloha Fridays event. Donations are welcome; park entrance fees apply.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT takes place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 2, 2014

La `Elima artist's depiction by Stan Rillon shows the great tsunami of 1868. This is Tsunami Awareness Month, heralded by a tsunami advisory following an earthquake in Chile yesterday. Image by Stan Rillon 

A TSUNAMI ADVISORY THIS MORNING closed Punalu`u, Honu`apo and other beach parks until 8 a.m., following an 8.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Chile yesterday at about 2 p.m. Hawai`i time. Surges onto beaches reached three feet where they were measured in Hilo. In Ka`u, Honu`apo recorded a point one-foot tsunami over eight minutes. 

      The advisory read, “Tsunami waves that can be a hazard to swimmers and boaters as well as to persons near the shore at beaches and in harbors and marinas are now affecting the state of Hawai`i. This hazard could continue for several hours. The situation is being monitored closely, and the advisory will end when the hazard has passed.”
      Chile has produced some of the most damaging tsunamis in Hawaiian history. In 1877, an 8.3 Chilean quake generated a tsunami that led to deaths in Hawai`i. On May 23, 1960, a tsunami from Chile killed 61 people in Hilo. The tsunami was generated by the largest recorded quake in history. It measured 9.5 on the Richter scale.

A 1960 tsunami flattened a heavily populated section of Hilo.

     Another locally generated major tsunami in Hawai`i happened in 1868 after the largest quake in Hawaiian history struck on April 2 at Keaiwa – Wood Valley. The 7.1 quake, as reported by goat and sheep farmer Fredrick Lyman, caused a huge mudslide that covered thatch and wood homes and killed 31 people in the Wood Valley area. The resulting tsunami wiped out structures at Punalu`u and Honu`apo.
     An Aleutians Islands quake on April 1,1946 measured 8.1 and killed 159 people in Hawai`i, leading to the creation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
     Warnings have led to evacuations numerous times. On Feb. 27, 2010, Punalu`u beachgoers and everyone staying the SeaMountain condos and others along the entire coast were evacuated after an 8.8 earthquake hit Chile. The tiny tsunami wave did no damage in Ka`u. In 2011, another evacuation was called by Civil Defense after the March 11 Japan earthquake that measured 9.0. That tsunami destroyed several homes along the south Kona coast.
      A famous song about a tsunami comes out of Miloli`i and Ka`u. It is called La `Elima, a song to remember. Each year, the La `Elima celebration is held in Miloli`i, where people were spared during the great earthquake and tidal wave in 1868. Though their Hauoli Kamana`o Church site was permanently submerged, the church building landed on the shore. The event also celebrates the Miloli`i community caring for other tsunami victims whose homes were lost. Listen to and watch a vintage recording of the Diana Aki song La `Elima with Israel Kamakawiwaole backing her up at youtube.com/watch?v=v3kIsPWllbM.

Saint Marianne Cope Day is Jan. 23.

      Darryl Oliveira, county Civil Defense director, noted this morning that the most recent tsunami threat came yesterday on the 68th anniversary of 1946 tsunami and the kickoff of Tsunami Awareness Month. Aerial surveys of the island began at first light this morning to observe any sea change from the small tsunami waves, generated by yesterday’s quake off the coast of Chile.
     While beaches are now open, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says that smaller sea level changes and strong or unusual currents may persist for several additional hours, and boaters and swimmers should exercise appropriate caution.

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JAN. 23 IS NOW SAINT MARIANNE COPE DAY in Hawai`i, following Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s signing of a bill passed by the state Legislature. 

      Maria Anna Barbara Koob, who would later be known as Saint Marianne Cope of Moloka`i, was a German-born American and a member of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Syracuse, New York, who spent many years caring for patients suffering from leprosy, or Hansen's disease, on Molokai.
      On October 21, 2012, Mother Marianne was canonized as Saint Marianne Cope by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Saint Marianne is the second person, after Father Damien, who had served in Hawai`i to be canonized, and she is only the 11th American citizen to receive the Roman Catholic Church's highest honor. Prior to her canonization, Cope was beatified on May 14, 2005 in Rome by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

  

      Saint Marianne’s feast day was established as January 23 and is celebrated by her own religious congregation, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.
      The status of HB2539 and other bills being considered at the state Legislature is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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Judge J. Michael Seabright

KA`U’S MARSHALLESE POPULATION COULD LOSE government-sponsored Medicaid health care benefits after a panel convened by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the state can resume offering fewer health care benefits to Micronesian migrants than those given other citizens and legal residents eligible for Medicaid reimbursements. 

      For many years before Gov. Linda Lingle’s administration, Hawai`i chose to include citizens of Palau, Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia citizens living here in its health insurance plans. The Compact of Free Association allowed them to live and work in the United States in exchange for U.S. control of strategic land and water in the Pacific Ocean.

      In 1996, Congress cut health care funding for migrants covered under COFA as part of comprehensive welfare reform. Then, when the Lingle administration attempted in 2009 and 2010 to reduce coverage because of fiscal challenges, U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright stopped it.

      COFA residents argued to the Ninth Circuit that the state violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by providing them less health coverage than citizens and legal residents eligible for Medicaid reimbursements, but the court disagreed. In the court’s decision, Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote, “Congress has plenary power to regulate immigration and the conditions on which aliens remain in the United States, and Congress has authorized states to do exactly what Hawai`i has done here — determine the eligibility for, and terms of, state benefits for aliens … with regard to whom Congress expressly gave states limited discretion.” 

      According to a story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser, state House Vice Speaker John Mizuno described the ruling as concerning and a “game changer.” He plans to meet with the Marshall Islands Consulate General in Honolulu, he said.

      See staradvertiser.com.

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Ka`u's U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS has announced its appointment of Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to the House Armed Services Committee. Gabbard will fill an open seat on the committee, and the full House will vote to finalize the appointment later this week. 

      The appointment came on a recommendation by the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

      “As a twice-deployed combat veteran and Captain in the Hawai`i Army National Guard, I take very seriously the responsibility to serve on the House Armed Services Committee,” Gabbard said. “This spring, as tough debates take place about the National Defense Authorization in the House, I will continue my work to support our service members and their families and to bring our troops home quickly and safely from Afghanistan. I look forward to working toward ensuring sound national security policy and to cut waste and inefficiency within the Defense Department. I will continue my bipartisan efforts to reform our military justice system in order to end the epidemic of military sexual assault.
      “Hawai`i plays a significant role in advancing our defense and foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region, and this appointment ensures Hawai`i will continue to have a voice on this critical committee. I am honored to join the committee and look forward to working with all of its members as we set priorities and funding levels for the Department of Defense, provide for our men and women in uniform and support a robust national security strategy that focuses on emerging threats around the globe.”

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BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, Volcano Art Center presents Process Painting - Spirit of Creativity with Patricia Hoban Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at its Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
      “Embark on a journey that encourages you to experiment, explore, discover and play through painting. Every one of us has creativity locked up inside, but we often have difficulty gaining access to that creativity,” Hoban said.
      Cost is $40 for VAC members, $45 non-members, with a $5 materials fee.
      Register at volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, April 1, 2014

April is Tsunami Awareness Month. In 1975, a tsunami destroyed this house at Punalu`u. Photo from USGS

HAWAI`I IS ONE OF THE FASTEST IMPROVING STATES in public education, said the U.S. Secretary of Education who visited the Islands yesterday. Hawai`i is one of a dozen states that won Race to the Top grants, and the $75 million spent here shows great improvement, said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. He visited a school on O`ahu that showed off its aquaponics and other science projects. Hawai`i News Now reported that “Duncan said that if Hawai`i could sustain recent improvements, much of what was being done in locals schools could be used as a model for the rest of the nation. ‘No one’s declaring victory, a long way to go, but the progress has been extraordinary. To say that now Hawai`i, by any objective measure, is one of the fastest improving states in the nation, that’s amazing!’”

Arne Duncan

     Hawai`i News Now noted that “Hawai`i won the four-year grant in 2010, but the funding was soon in jeopardy, with the state placed on high-risk status. After making changes, Hawai`i was back in good standing last July.”
      In addition to teachers and administrators, the Education Secretary met with the Hawai`i State Teachers Association representatives of the union.
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HAWAI`I STATE SENATE PASSED a $12 billion state budget for the 2015 fiscal year, cutting nearly $168 million from what Gov. Neil Abercrombie originally proposed. While retaining funding for early education and school athletics, most of the reductions were made to proposed capital improvement projects. The Senate also reduced the governor’s proposed budget for 2013-14 by $46.1 million. The adjustments follow the state Council on Revenues lowering of its revenue forecast.
      Ways & Means Committee chair, Sen. David Ige said, “We are facing much difficulty in the future that should not be compounded by unwise and irresponsible actions taken today.”
      The budget now goes to a conference committee of both houses of the Legislature.
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ROYAL HAWAIIAN ORCHARDS, LP HAS REPORTED a loss of $3.7 million, or 49 cents per share, for 2013, compared to a loss of $499,000, or seven cents per share, for 2012. The company cited the second lowest harvest in the past 20 years due to dry weather in Ka`u during key nut development phases, reduction in sales of nuts to build inventory for branded product sales in 2014 and an increase in selling, general and administrative costs of its developing branded product segment.

      “While this inventory build and investment in retail shelf space will negatively impact near-term financial performance, the Partnership believes that the benefits it will enjoy from its branded business will more than offset these short-term costs,” according to a statement.
      Sales of branded retail products increased to $2.1 million in 2013, from $91,000 in 2012, the company said.
      Royal Hawaiian Orchards estimates that its products are now distributed in 3,000 retail stores on the mainland and in Hawai`i and expects to be in 10,000 stores by the end of 2014.
      The Partnership, with offices in Hilo and Pahala, is one of the leading growers and processors of macadamia nuts in the world, processing and marketing macadamia nuts in-shell, in bulk kernel form and as better-for-you snack products.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO HAS BEEN NAMED chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action.

 The subcommittee was created at the beginning of the 113th Congress “to provide oversight and review of agency rule-making” and agency action, according to Hirono’s office.

      Hirono said, “I plan to work so that the unique needs of Hawai`i are represented as we review agency actions and Executive Branch initiatives. I will also look for ways to improve oversight of government waste and abuse and strengthen consumer protections for all Americans.”
      A complete description of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action’s jurisdiction can be read at judiciary.senate.gov/about/subcommittees#oversight.
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TSUNAMI AWARENESS MONTH BEGINS TODAY, with public officials urging people to be prepared and reflections on tsunamis that have taken out villages and harbor facilities along the Ka`u Coast. This month was chosen to honor the victims and survivors of the April 1, 1946 tsunami that originated from the Aleutian Islands.

Honu`apo remains of a warehouse taken out in 1975 by a tsunami.
Photo from USGS

         The most recent tsunami upset the shoreline and poured salt water into Punalu`u Black Sand Beach pond when it rolled in from Japan after the great earthquake on March 11, 2011.
    Other tsunamis in recent history include the Nov. 29, 1975 tidal wave following a 7.7 earthquake at Halape that left severe property damage at Punalu`u. The waves reached 4.3 – 5.8 feet. Further south along the southeastern Ka`u Coast, the waves reached 6.2 feet and then 3.4 feet at South Point.
    Standard Oil’s tank and a warehouse were washed away with other buildings at Honu`apo. The warehouse foundation is now part of the park there.
      A Tsunami Awareness and Emergency Response Fair takes place Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wailoa River State Recreation Area in Hilo. Coordinated by Hawai`i County Civil Defense, the event will showcase current emergency response systems developed as a result of lessons learned from past tsunamis.
      Information about how to be prepared in case of a tsunami is available at scd.hawaii.gov.
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DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS is conducting a series of statewide Beneficiary Consultation Meetings on its draft water policy plan. The Hawai`i Island meeting takes place April 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Hilo High School Cafeteria.
      Regarding water, Hawaiian Homes Commission and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands says the mission is to “strive to ensure the availability of adequate, quality water by working cooperatively to understand our trust water assets; plan for our water needs, aggressively understand, exercise and assert our water rights; develop and protect water sources; and manage water systems.
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KA`U HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL hosts Hilo High School Vikings tonight at Ka`u High Gymnasium. Junior Varsity game starts at 6 p.m., with the Varsity game to follow at 7 p.m. Next game for the Trojan Volleyball teams will be on Saturday, April 5 when Ka`u hosts Kealakehe Waveriders at 10 a.m.
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Yellow `ohi`a lehua NPS photo by David Boyle

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK INVITES everyone to participate in upcoming free Kahuku programs offered through June.
      Palm Trail is a moderately difficult, 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered April 19, May 25 and June 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
      People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour, guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered April 20, May 18 and June 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
      `Ohi`a Lehua focuses on the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a tree and the lehua flower. Visitors traveling through the park will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent tree in the Kahuku Unit. The `Ohi`a Lehua program is offered April 27, May 11 (Mother’s Day) and June 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
      Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka side of Hwy 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.