Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, March 12, 2014

HAWAI`I HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS PASSED four bills aimed at strengthening and improving hunting activities in the state. The Senate is now considering the measures.

      Hawai`i Island Representative Cindy Evans, who chairs the House Committee on Water and Land, said, “These measures will help us to manage and keep our forests healthy, not only for hunting but as a way to strengthen our conservation efforts.”
      HB1902 HD2 would require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to make reasonable efforts to prevent and mitigate the loss, destruction, or degradation of public hunting areas. It would establish a hunting advisory commission and require DLNR to report to the Legislature regarding public hunting lands.
      HB1901 HD2 would establish a task force in DLNR to make recommendations regarding participation in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
      HB1907 HD1 would authorize DLNR to offer lifetime hunting licenses at a steeply discounted rate to qualified disabled veterans and recipients of the Purple Heart.
      HB1903 HD1 would designate June as Outdoor Heritage Month to celebrate Hawai`i’s natural environment and recreational activities. This bill has been assigned to Senate committees on Energy and Environment, Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing, and Technology and the Arts.

      Progress of these and other bills can be tracked at capitol.hawaii.gov.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Steering Committee met last night with members of the public attending at Na`alehu Community Center. County Planner Ron Whitmore said that planners will meet with area stakeholders through summer. Stakeholders include the Steering Committee itself, community groups, landowners and representatives of government agencies. 

      Representatives of Ocean View Community Development Corp. met recently with Whitmore and Bobby Command, of the Planning Department, and Steering Committee members Loren Heck and Patti Barry on the OVCDC desire to have more input into the CDP and for the plan to treat each community more independently. Barry and Heck reported that the meeting went well and promised continued communication between planners, the Steering Committee and the community group.
      Several advocates for the Hawaiian Kingdom expressed their desire for Native Hawaiian kuleana owners and others with deeds going back to Hawaiian Kingdom to be represented in the planning process. Some challenged the county's right to plan for land they claim to belong to the Hawaiian Kingdom. Shelly Mahi questioned the right of lessees of old sugar land and The Nature Conservancy to use the land. Abel Simeona Louis spoke his refrain, “Ka`u has never been conquered by man,” and described himself as houseless and homeless since his eviction from Kawa, which is now owned by the county with plans being made for a park. “God gave this land to Kamehameha and to the people,” Louis proclaimed, contending that one third of the land should go to the “maka`ainana,” the people who live here.
      Regarding interviews with stakeholders, Steering Committee members Michelle Galimba and Barry, as well as OVCDC representative Paula Donovan and others, called for a synopsis written on each meeting with stakeholders. Whitmore said he would check with the Planning director.
      Whitmore encouraged the public to read the wealth of information about Ka`u that is available at hawaiicountycdp.info/kau. History, geography, natural resource, population, current land use and planning tools are available for review and study along with maps and illustrations. Whitmore promised that the draft of the Ka`u Community Development Plan will be the subject of much public review.
      The next meeting was set for July 8 at Ocean View Community Center at 5:30 p.m.

USE OF THE CHEMICAL HERBICIDE ROUNDUP by state, county and city departments and agencies is the subject of an informational briefing to be held by the state Senate Committee on Health this Friday, March 14 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 229 of the state Capitol. 

      “We have been receiving reports from around the state from people disturbed by the use of Roundup or glyphosate by local and state road crews,” said Ka`u’s Sen. Josh Green, who chairs the committee. “People are expressing concern that this chemical is being used in an excessive and unnecessary way, and may be hazardous to human health and to the environment. The goal of this informational briefing is to determine if the use of Roundup by state and local agencies is safe and necessary, and if everything possible is being done to reduce potentially harmful exposure to our land, water and people.”
      Roundup is one of the trade names for the chemical herbicide glyphosate, developed by Monsanto and manufactured and sold under various names by Monsanto and other agrochemical companies.
      The purposes of the informational briefing are to:

• Receive a full and comprehensive report on all use of Roundup/glyphosate statewide by state, county and city departments and agencies to determine whether all appropriate regulations, codes, safety measures and guidelines are being fully observed in its use; 
• Receive information from environmental and health experts on any potential hazardous effects of Roundup/glyphosate use on the environment and human health; and 
• Explore possible alternatives to the use of chemical herbicides such as Roundup/glyphosate by state, county and city departments and agencies.

Scott Enright, center, who was recently confirmed by the state Senate as chair of the Department of Agriculture, will speak at Ka`u Farm Bureau's annual meeting Friday. Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture

Cloud Pond, by Faye Soli, was one of two People's Choice winners at Hawai`i Photo Expo 2013.

A community meeting about little fire ants takes place a week from today in Na`alehu. Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture