Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, October 1, 2019

MAYOR HARRY KIM'S IDEA FOR MAUANKEA drew support and suggestions from state Sen. Kai Kahele. He said today that Kim's plan, called A Way Forward is a good start. Kahele made suggestions, recommending that management of Maunakea be controlled by the governor, the mayor, and the state legislature, along with the community.

     Kahele proposed "extensive community conversations" before finalizing a management plan for  Maunakea. He said the issue of people protesting building the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea cannot be resolved in a few months, but will "take a lot of time and effort, a lot of community consultations." He gave the example of the island of  Kahoʻolawe, which transitioned from a military bombing range to a place of restoration.

     Kahele said that the Thirty Meter Telescope issue is separate from changing Maunakea management. He said the situation at Maunakea Access Road needs to be de-escalated so people can be "active participants" in the conversation on how to make management changes.
    He said the impending construction and "potential threat of a law enforcement sweep" against those protesting at the access road "doesn't help at all in getting people to want to come to the table and have meaningful conversations." He suggested a moratorium be placed on construction of TMT until management can be revamped. Kahele said there is a loss of trust, with promises broken, that has exacerbated the situation.

     See his interview with Big Island Video News.

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HAWAIʻI'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IS REQUESTING HELP from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Agriculture, to provide "much needed relief" to Hawaiʻi farmers and agricultural producers who were uniquely affected by the Kīlauea eruption.

     In a letter to Perdue, Hawaiʻi's representatives in Washington wrote that Hawaiʻi producers face unique losses – including permanent loss of land – due to lava inundation.

     "We understand that you have to consider the entire country when making policy. However, we cannot impress upon you enough the unique nature of the losses experienced by our producers impacted by the volcanic eruption. While USDA's existing disaster assistance programs and WHIP+ provide adequate relief for victims of natural disasters such as drought, flooding, wildfires, and hurricanes, they do not provide adequate relief for victims of volcanic eruptions. This inadequacy is understandable given the infrequency of devastating volcanic eruptions in the United States. However, we urge the USDA to acknowledge the unique circumstances surrounding the impacts that the eruption has had on our producers to date." The delegation asks USDA to "make an exception and work with us and our Hawaiʻi producers to provide unique assistance to farmers that were impacted by a truly unique disaster."

     The Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation has written to the Secretary of Agriculture three times, requesting the agency's flexibility in helping impacted farmers recover from the natural disasters that occurred in 2018. They most recently wrote to Perdue in March, asking for more than the current programs to adequately meet the needs and provide the relief necessary for farmers. Read the letter here.

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BILLS TO IMPROVE STEM OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MINORITIES is the goal of Sen. Mazie Hirono. Last week, she reintroduced her legislative plan to improve opportunities for women and minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

     Said Hirono, "Women and minorities in STEM fields face obstacles at every step of their careers. The STEM Opportunities Act and Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act will break down barriers and promote opportunities to engage our entire talent pool. As the demand for STEM workers grows in Hawaiʻi and across the country, we must ensure that pathways to these jobs are inclusive of all Americans."

     Hirono's plan consists of two bills. The STEM Opportunities Act, which, following Senate introduction last week, passed the House by voice vote, requires increased data collection to better understand who receives federal grants, clarifies guidance for grant reviewers to minimize the effects of implicit bias, and establishes federal grants to promote research-based recruitment and retention practices for minority faculty and students at institutions of higher education. Additionally, the bill requires guidance for federal laboratories and institutions of higher education to identify any cultural or institutional barriers that limit the recruitment and retention of women and minorities in research careers. The legislation builds on progress made through the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which President Obama signed into law in early 2017 with several provisions that were championed by Hirono. The Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas).

     Said Johnson, "I am happy to see Senator Hirono leading a companion to the STEM Opportunities Act, which was considered on the House floor last week. The goal of our legislation is to develop and implement evidence-based policies to promote the progress of women, minorities, and other groups underrepresented in STEM studies and research careers. The need for full engagement in STEM by women and underrepresented groups goes beyond enabling individuals to fulfill their dreams of becoming a scientist. Our economic future relies on what we do now to nurture the STEM talent that will be necessary to meet the demands of an increasingly technological and knowledge-based economy."

     The second bill, Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). The Act establishes grants to support programs designed to increase participation for women and minorities in STEM. Under the bill, these programs would include online workshops, mentoring programs to connect professionals with students, internship programs for undergraduate and graduate students, outreach programs for K-12 students, retention programs for STEM faculty, and other related programs.

     Said Maloney, "Women today make up half of the current workforce, yet they still hold less than a quarter of all STEM jobs. Many groups including African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations, make up only a quarter of the STEM workforce. It is all too clear that women and minorities are being left behind. That needs to change. This bill will help bring more women and minorities into STEM education and help diversify our country's potential in the manufacturing sector, a vital industry that will allow for America to remain competitive in the global economy."

     Hirono has been a longstanding advocate for federal programs that improve opportunities for women and minorities in STEM. Last Congress, she introduced a similar legislative plan, and, earlier this year, she led a letter with 11 of her colleagues calling on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue its efforts to strengthen the STEM pipeline by maintaining funding for its programs that broaden participation for underrepresented groups.

     In 2016, Hirono also convened a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee field hearing at Maui High School to hear from national experts, including NSF, and local stakeholders regarding the importance of promoting more women and minorities in the STEM workforce.

     Leslie Wilkins, President & CEO, of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and Founding Director of the Women in Technology Project, said, "Locally in Hawaiʻi, high-paying STEM jobs are spurring growth and boosting our island economy. MEDB's Women in Technology and STEMworks™ initiatives continue to engage girls and women who are underrepresented in technology fields so that we can grow the STEM workforce pipeline and keep up with demand through hands-on STEM curriculum, training, mentoring and internship programs that have had a significant impact statewide. However, these programs still need support."

     Numerous national groups have also endorsed the STEM Opportunities Act, including the American Council on Education, American Society for Engineering Education, American Society for Microbiology, Computing Research Association, IEEE-USA, Society of Women Engineers, American Physiological Society, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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FLIGHTS OVER HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK for October began today, with passengers and gear for petrel monitoring shuttled from the summit of Kīlauea to Mauna Loa at about 9,000-ft elevation. On Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., this will happen again.

     The skies will be quiet from Park helicopters until Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., to again shuttle passengers and gear for petrel monitoring from the summit of Kīlauea to Mauna Loaat about 9,000-ft elevation. 

     Wednesday, Oct. 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Park staff survey and control invasive banana poka on Mauna Loa Road between 5,000-ft. and 6,000-ft elevation.

     Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., helicopters again shuttle passengers and gear for petrel monitoring from about 9,000-ft elevation on Mauna Loa to the summit of Kīlauea.

     Skies go quiet again, from Park sources, until Tuesday, October 29, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., for ungulate surveys and control work in the Kahuku Unit, between 4,000-ft and 6,500-ft elevation.

     On Wednesday, Oct. 30, two projects require helicopters: 8 a.m. to noon, invasive Guinea grass surveys and control along Keauhou Trail, from the coast to 2,000-ft elevation; noon to 1p.m.shuttle passengers and supplies to control invasive plants from ʻĀinahou to ‘Āpua Point.

     The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather. Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources, and to maintain backcountry facilities.