Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, June 13, 2022

A NEW TREE CANOPY VIEWER SHOWS COMMUNITIES TREE RESOURCES to help make management decisions. The interactive viewer shows the extent and location of the tree canopy. The tree canopies of Kaʻū and across the state can be seen at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/communityforests/?cid=fseprd995876
    A statement from the Department of Land & Natural Resources says the view will help local leaders manage threats to canopy loss as well as prioritize locations for tree planting, develop urban forestry master plans. The interactive website is provided by the USDA Forest Service and the Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program at the DLNR’s Division of Forestry & Wildlife.
  "Canopy cover is a driving force behind numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits such as reducing peak temperatures, improving air quality, increasing stormwater absorption, and providing wildlife habitats," says the DLNR statement.
    “Trees are vital infrastructure that make our communities more livable, loveable, and resilient,” DOFAW Urban and Community Forester Heather McMillen said. “Being able to clearly communicate where we need to focus our efforts to expand tree canopy will be critical as we work with community leaders and policy makers to use infrastructure funding for the greatest good, not only for now but for future generations.”
    Pacific Southwest Region Forester Jennifer Eberlien said she and her colleagues see the tree canopy viewer as a "...vital equity tool. The viewer allows people to freely access statewide tree canopy layer and help identify communities disproportionately burdened by risks that urban tree cover may help alleviate.”
    The tree canopy layer in the viewer is made possible through the partnership and technical expertise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management. “I’m excited about this work,” said Nate Herold, head of NOAA’s coastal land cover program. “Not only did we provide a superior product that will be used to have an impact related to tree cover and equity, but because of the partnership approach between NOAA, the state, and the U.S. Forest Service, we were able to produce the data faster, cheaper, and better than any of us could have otherwise and with no duplication of effort.”
    NOAA plans to use this data to update the agency’s Coastal Change Analysis Program, which provides Hawaiʻi with additional data on impervious cover, wetlands, and changes over time.
    The viewer’s tree canopy layer uses one-meter resolution from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Maxar Vivid imagery compiled up to 2020 under a contract with EarthDefine. Other layers in the viewer highlight related socioeconomic, geographic and environmental characteristics.
    Fellowships will be offered to support research that uses the Hawai‘i tree canopy viewer and data to contribute to the mission and purpose of Kaulunani, as well as contribute to the goals of the Hawai‘i Forest Action Plan.
    The Tree Canopy Viewer is available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/communityforests/?cid=fseprd995876/

     Community Partnership Grants are available from Kaulunani with the deadline July 22. The programs receiving grants must align with the purpose or Kaulunani, which is "to plan for, establish, manage and protect trees, forests, and green spaces across Hawai‘i with a focus on underserved communities. Through these actions and through supporting relationships among people and trees, the program provides social, economic, ecological, and health benefits to Hawaiʻi’s communities. It supports collaboration across governmental, private, non-profit, and community-based organizations to improve the biocultural well-being of communities and the ecosystems they inhabit."

    Read more and apply at https://mcusercontent.com/b2e428a31196a16be3f2c1280/files/e67f6bd2-ac47-b2eb-4a63-47f9506ebe37/Kaulunani_Grant_RFP_Summer2022.docx.pdf.

'ULU AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES are the focus of a new guide and also a free Webinar this Wednesday, June 15. See the  'Ulu Agroforestry in Hawai'i Guide. at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2263/2015/files/HUPC-Ulu-Agroforestry-Guide.pdf?v=1654287013.
    A statement from Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative says the organization and partners have developed the guide to clarify terms related to agroforestry, which has become a "buzzword" in recent years, and to provide concrete examples of how Hawaiʻi ʻulu farms practice various agroforestry techniques.
    The webinar aims to provide ʻulu agroforestry education through the Zoom event. It is free on Wednesday, June 15 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features guest practitioners Andrew Trump, Noel Dickinson, Dr. Noa Lincoln, Dave Sansone, Noeʻau Peralto, Zach Mermel, Troy Keolanui and Harry Greene. 
    The statement says "Benefits of agroforestry can include increased soil health and overall crop production, while challenges may include increased installation or harvesting costs. We hope this guide and webinar will help Hawaiʻi ʻulu farmers and backyard growers better understand these considerations and work to implement sustainable, achievable, and effective practices on their land!"

    Register for this Wednesday's webinar at:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdTl1WnQgS8EAvUjcXxlOtRE8iE5a8Gk6g2pw6D_SIUPP0-w/viewform.

The deadline has been extended. Call Katie Graham at 808-785-8088.

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KAUKAU 4 KEIKI is still taking signups for free food on Fridays to be distributed in Ocean View, Nāʻālehu and Pāhala. Contact Katie Graham at 808-785-8088. 

    There will be three pick up sites in Kaʻū: Pāhala Hongwanji, Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, and Ocean View at Kona Drive and Hwy 11 between mile marker 79 and 80. Pickup will be on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The summer food distribution starts the week of June 20 and ends on July 29.
    Kaukau 4 Keiki is funded by the County of Hawaiʻi and administered by The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island's Food Bank.
     Kaukau 4 Keiki will distribute $53 of food benefits per week (a $35 grocery gift card and an $18 value of Hawai'i grown produce) to help families with economic hardship. There will be a limit of one Kaukau 4 Keiki set per family. 

THE VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. Volcano Community Association President Aubrey Hawke and Cooper Center President Linda Ugalde explained that the annual event is sponsored by the Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The parade on Monday, July 4, starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., where it will be followed by the Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)