Kaʻū News Briefs April 22, 2024

April is Tsunami Awareness Month. In November 1975, Hawai`i's largest locally generated tsunami in the 20th and 21st centuries hit the Kaʻū Coast, wrecking this house at Punalu`u. USGS Photo by David Shapiro, of Honolulu Star-Bulletin

APRIL IS TSUNAMI AWARENESS MONTH FOR STATE OF HAWAI'I and Mayor Mitch Roth has emailed a link to a new University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant tsunami preparedness video to all county employees. See it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbd_H_kyszo&t=125s&themeRefresh=1.

The 2011 tsunami lifted this house off its
foundation at Kapua Bay. Photo by Kai Kahele

    Hawai'i Tsunami Preparedness video was produced with U.H., state Department of Education Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness Branch, and partners, including Pacific Tsunami Museum. 

   County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno said, “This video has it all in one place. It covers how a tsunami is generated, tsunami zones, emergency communications and evacuation planning so that residents properly know where to go during the tsunami threat.”

    Dennis Hwang, faculty with Hawai‘i Sea Grant, said “This video is the result of a collaborative partnership among emergency managers from across the state, as well as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, International Tsunami Information Center, and Pacific Tsunami Museum, as well as the Hawai‘i State Department of Education which produced the video. It includes the most up-to-date information

This Okoe Bay home was destroyed by the 
2011 tsunami from Japan. Photo by Kai Kahele

available and is an important resource for the public now and into the future.”
    A statement from Sea Grant says, "The experts who produced the video strongly encourage every resident of Hawai‘i, and every visitor, to watch this free resource video which could potentially save their life or the life of a family member. While the video focuses on tsunami preparedness, it includes information to help prepare for other natural hazards such as wildfires and hurricanes."
    This year marks 78 years since the deadly 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake that generated tsunami waves that wiped out the Punalu'u shoreline in Ka'u and sent a tsunami wave over 50-feet high in Hilo, caused tragic loss of life, and $340 million economic damage to the state.

    On March 11, 2011, a tsunami from Japan flooded Punalu'u beach and destroyed and damaged several houses north along the coast.

Measurements taken after the 2011 tsunami from Japan came ashore but largely spared Punalu'u, while destroying
several beach homes up the coast at Okoe and Kapua Bays. Photo by Julia Neal

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HAWAI'I IS ONE OF THE LEAST GAMBLING-ADDICTED STATES. Even though these islands are known for illegal chicken fighting and for residents frequently visiting Las Vegas, Hawai'i is one of two states where gambling is illegal. The other is Utah.  WalletHub rated all the 50 states and placed Hawai'i 44th. The study noted that nationwide, the gambling industry racked up $65.5 billion in revenue last year. Gambling includes legal and illegal gambling operations, and lottery sales per capita and the share of adults with gambling disorders. The most gambling addicted states, according to WalletHub, are Nevada, South Dakota, Montana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Mississippi, west Virginia, Oregon and New Jersey. The least addicted population is in Utah, followed by Alaska, Vermont, Nebraska, Maine, Wisconsin, Hawai'i, Connecticut, Kansas and Georgia.
    See the entire report at https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-addicted-to-gambling/20846.

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COASTAL OBSERVATION & SEABIRD SURVEY TEAM will host What's Washed In: Seabirds, 

Marine Debris & Citizen Science on Tuesday, April 23 at 2 p.m. online.

    Since the first surveys began in 1999, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team has steadily expanded from a nucleus of five beaches to nearly 450 beaches. From 12 participants who worked to invent and refine the COASST system of carcass identification, COASST has grown to more than 1,000 participants, making us the largest beached bird network in the world.
    Dr. Julia K. Parrish will lead the webinar. She is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of the Environment at the University of Washington, and a Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Professor of Ocean Fishery Sciences. She is a marine biologist, a conservation biologist, and a specialist in animal aggregation. For more than 20 years, Parrish has conducted research on seabirds, focused on the natural and human-caused factors causing population decline. She is also the Executive Director of COASST, the citizen science program involving hundreds of participants collecting monthly data on the identity and abundance of beach-cast birds and marine debris, with the goal of creating the definitive baseline against which the impacts of any near-shore catastrophe could be measured. Sign up at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4463749363462859866utm_medium=email&utm_source=GovDelivery

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Kaʻū News Briefs April 21, 2024

The plan by Black Sand Beach, LLC for Punalu'u as published in SFGate on Sunday.

THE UPCOMING HEARING ON THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT PUNALU'U DREW A STORY IN SFGATE on Sunday. The story in the San Francisco Bay area publication by Natasha Bourlin is titled Locals outraged by development at one of Hawai'i's most famous beaches. It quotes opponents and proponents of Black Sand Beach, LLC's quest for a Special Management Permit, which comes again before the Windward Planning Commission with a second public hearing on Monday, May 6 at 9 a.m. at the County Council Chambers in Hilo. Here is the link at https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-punaluu-black-sand-beach-19410430.php. Here is the SFGate story:
    It’s one of the most famous black sand beaches in Hawaii. On the southeast coast of the island of Hawaii, aka the Big Island, the Punaluu beach is a popular stop for visitors who want to see their first black sand beach, and it’s a regular rest stop for endangered sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals often seen basking on its shore.Soon, it may also host a 434-acre residential and commercial development called Punaluu Village.
    However, the community is divided on the project. Some residents and environmental advocates are opposed, while others look forward to the influx of jobs it may bring.
In 2020, Black Sand Beach LLC purchased the parcel that straddles two sides of Hawaii Belt Road in the Punaluu portion of the Kau district. The land already includes a condominium complex, a private subdivision and a boat ramp. The company also owns the land upon which the County of Hawaii Black Sand Beach Park is located. Black Sand Beach LLC told SFGATE the county pays $1 per year to lease the land for public use.
    In its proposal, Black Sand Beach LLC said it wants to rehabilitate a closed golf course, former restaurant and cultural center. And the developer wants to add 225 new residential and short-stay units, a wellness center, dining and retail establishments, a marketplace, parking facilities, a second condominium complex and a conference and educational center with cabin retreats.
    Black Sand Beach LLC said the development will not be near the shoreline or disrupt beach access. However, it was required to file for a Special Management Area permit because part of the development is in a coastal zone.
    At a public hearing on March 7, hundreds of local residents showed up to be heard either in opposition to or support of the planned development, with more than 100 written testimonies on both sides submitted to the Windward Planning Commission. After eight hours of public testimony, dozens more still needed to be heard, necessitating a future hearing. The next one is scheduled for May 6.
    “I believe that developing this area would desecrate a sacred coastline, ecologically and culturally,” Naalehu resident Dominic Riolo wrote. “Additionally, I believe that further entrenching the region and island in a tourism based economy, as this development proposes to do, undermines cultural and ecological health.”
  Community members in support of the project believe the developer would help make improvements to the area, which is currently riddled with dilapidated buildings and infrastructure from the previous development, as well as provide jobs and housing for the area.

SFGate published this photo by Peter Unger of Punalu'u Black Sand Beach on Sunday and called it one of Hawai'i's most famous beaches. It ran a story with pro and con comments on the proposed development by Black Sand Beach, LLC.

    “I firmly believe that this project holds the potential to rejuvenate Kau, offering invaluable opportunities for its residents and fostering much-needed employment,” wrote Demetrius K. Oliveira, a lifelong resident of Pahala.
    “Kau has persistently grappled with economic challenges, characterized by limited job prospects that force many to endure extensive commutes,” Oliveira continued. “The envisioned resort development serves as a beacon of hope, promising substantial job creation and economic revitalization. Beyond immediate employment benefits, it pledges to pave a brighter path for younger generations, enabling them to flourish in their hometown.”
    But many residents are concerned that the region may be adversely impacted by the creation of Punaluu Village. They believe that at bare minimum, an in-depth environmental impact survey should be conducted before further progress is made.
   Black Sand Beach LLC said the area has suffered more than three decades of neglect, leaving the infrastructure and many existing buildings left from the previous development in disrepair. Since purchasing the land, the developer asserts that it has spent over $1 million making improvements to benefit the overall community, such as by fixing existing sewer lines, potable water lines, roadways and irrigation systems.
    Many more improvements are planned, Black Sand Beach LLC said in an email to SFGATE, including firebreak roads and coordination with the county to create a broader shoreline management program for the black sand beach to manage visitors and overuse, plus additional protection for shoreline resources.
    “It’s an area that we all love and treasure. Punaluu is not an undeveloped green field site but a living active community that needs constant maintenance and care,” Daryn Arai, land use consultant and

representative for Black Sand Beach LLC, told SFGATE in an email. “We take our role as the stewards seriously by providing water, sewer, road system maintenance, and property management services to the Punaluu community. The task of maintaining these vital services is becoming more challenging in striking the delicate equilibrium between fulfilling the community’s needs and managing the associated financial burdens of these services.” Arai said the developer has consulted extensively with the local community and kupuna (elders) during the crafting of its master plan, and will be dedicating an approximately 30-acre area, including the beach, to conservation and coastal management activities.
    Amid the community’s concerns, on March 4 the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity announced it had filed a legal intervention against the developer. “Punaluu is celebrated for its breathtaking beauty, cultural significance and unique ecological diversity,” the nonprofit said in a news release. The nonprofit argued in the release, “Developers are relying on an outdated environmental analysis and the permit application they filed with the county fails to consider harms to the local community. Increased traffic and a surge in visitors will compromise the residents’ quality of life and exacerbate existing challenges faced by Punaluu’s fragile ecosystem.”
    One of the things the department looks for in proposed plans is “consistency with the Kau Community Development Plan (Kau CDP), and the project is generally consistent with the Kau CDP,” Zendo Kern, planning director for the County of Hawaii, told SFGATE in an email. “There are mixed feelings in the community on how the project could benefit the island,” he also said. “Some feel it’s important for economic growth and job opportunities close to home and others feel it will negatively impact the area and would prefer to see things remain as they are.” In October 2023, Kern conditionally approved the issuance of a Special Management Area Minor Permit for two components of Punaluu Village: a proposed open market complex and firebreak roads. As stated in the approval, he didn’t think the project would have significant adverse impacts. However, Kern stated that “there will be specific conditions that the applicant/owner must adhere to that mitigate cultural and environmental impacts” should the project receive approval, such as water quality plans, marine life monitoring and cultural resource management. 

       “The integrity of our community and the natural and cultural resources of Kau will suffer immeasurable loss from the impacts of this shallow shortsighted proposed development,” wrote Volcano resident Kalena K. Blakemore. “... What few job opportunities afforded from the project will not compensate for the damage to our sacred cultural sites, fragile ecosystems and loss for the Kau families right to traditional and cultural practices. Tourist impacts have exceeded appropriate capacity yesterday and today, therefore, why would you approve of the SMA permit for the future of tomorrow?”
    Given the amount of opposition, Punaluu Village may move forward at the pace of some of Punaluu’s marine inhabitants. Kern said three petitions have already been filed for a contested case hearing.
    “This is a sensitive project and it is important that process is followed, and we hear from the community and provide all available information for the commission to make an informed decision,” Kern said.

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Kaʻū News Briefs April 20, 2024

Local residents were invited to Kamehameha School's Kahuku Ranch on Saturday to participate in community

input for a stewardship plan for the 1,368 acres at Kaunāmano on the Kaʻū Coast. Photo by Julia Neal

NOHOPAPA HAWAI'I HOSTED A SESSION ABOUT KAUNĀMANO STEWARDSHIP along the Kaʻū Coast. The public meeting was held Saturday at Kamehameha Schools' Kahuku Ranch. Nohopapa said it invites engagement "with individuals, 'ohana and organizations that have long-standing lineal, cultural, and community connections to this wahi pana, and have knowledge and man'o on traditional uses or ongoing cultural practices in the area or general vicinity."
    The Nohopapa organization, which has been contracted to develop a Resource Stewardship Plan in

A stewardship plan for Kaunāmano is in the making and public input
is sought. Photo from Ala Kahakai Trail Association

cooperation with Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which owns the 1,368 acres at Kaunāmano,

is asking for input from the public on:

    Mo'oku'auhau 'Aina, Wahi Kupuna - cultural, historical and archaeological resources;

    'Aina Mauli Ola - Native plants, marine and avian resources;

    Traditional and Existing Access Structures and Fire Prevention;

    Recommendations or mana'o for stewardship planning for Hawaiian wahi kupuna or traditional customary practices within or around the area; and

    Referrals of Kupuna and Kama'aina who would be willing to share their cultural knowledge of the area.

    Input is also sought on public access with a key challenge of determining the use of the place by the local community, including the timing and number of people who can go there. 

    To participate, contact rachel@nohopapa.com. 

    According to representatives of Nohopapa and Ala Kahakai Trail Association, community outreach, consultation and interviews will be conducted through July and the stewardship plan will be presented by the end of November. 

    See more on Nohopapa at www.nohopapa.com and more on Ala Kahaki Trail Association at https://www.alakahakaitrail.org/kaunamano.

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Armando and Karina Rodrigues, with coffee farms in Honomolina and Kaʻū, have launched Aloha Latinos Hawai'i, an organization to assist the growing number of Latin American immigrants and workers to become involved in the community
and to provide them with the help they may need here. Photo from Aloha Star Farms

ALOHA LATINOS HAWAI'I ASSOCIATION has launched. It was founded by Armando Rodrigues, Kaʻū and Kona Coffee grower of Aloha Star Coffee Farms. He has become Aloha Latino's first President. Rodrigues, his wife Karina, son Elias and grandmother Marina say that they are Americans who also appreciate their Latino background and want to help other Latinos to connect for cultural reasons, help with farming, immigration and other challenges. 

Teachers who help immigrant children around the country
visit the coffee farm of Armando Rodrigues, who founded
Aloha Latinos Hawai'i Association. Photo from Aloha Star Farms

    Armando said Aloha Latinos is "an effort created to unite, empower, and uplift the voices of the Latino community in Hawai'i County, the Big Island of Hawai'i." 

    The state of Hawai'i reported last September that Hawai'i County has the fastest growing Latino population in the Islands, reaching some 13.6 percent. Rodrigues said the Latino population is growing faster and has reached about 22 percent, with about 80 percent of farm workers Latino on Hawai'i Island.
    Aloha Latinos also serves in diplomacy with arrivals from the Mexican Consulate. Aloha Star Coffee farm recently hosted a group of teachers from across the country who specialize in the education of immigrant children.
    Mayor Mitch Roth recently swore in Rodrigues as President of Aloha Latinos. Vice President is Jennifer Bladeras, who has worked with many farmers in advising on finance and farm purchases under the USDA Farm Service Agency. Treasurer is Anna Marie Smith. Secretary is Alejandra Cisneros. Board members are Jazmin Allison, Ana McKnight, Marlene Villatora, Karina Rodrigues, Claudia Hartz and Victoria Magana.

    Follow @alohalatinoshawaii. Contact Armando and Karina Rodrigues at 808-987-4918.

Founders of Aloha Latinos Hawai'i Association with Mayor Mitch Roth and County Council member Michelle Galimba.
Photo from Aloha Latinos

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