Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023

    This informational meeting is for all those who would like to be vendors. A statement from sponsoring organization Hana Laulima Lahui O Kaʻū said, "It is highly recommended for potential vendors to attend to receive their checklist of forms that need to be completed. Hoʻolauleʻa representatives will be at the center until 12 p.m. All vendor forms will be due no later than March 18."

In 1984, silverswords were recognized as endangered, with high risk of extinction.

THE SILVERSWORD RECOVERY EFFORT IS SPROUTING ON MAUNAKEA. Efforts to re-establish the highly endangered silversword on Maunakea are germinating through a partnership between University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship and Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife.
    Silversword seeds, first sown at the Center for Maunakea Stewardship greenhouse at the Halepōhaku mid-level facility in February 2022, sprouted into more than 100 seedlings and have reached 3 inches to 7 inches tall. The staff is preparing to outplant the silverswords in a fenced enclosure within the Maunakea Forest Reserve.
    Justin Yeh, Resource Manager for Maunakea Stewardship, said, “I want this partnership to continue and be an example of what we can do if we work together as conservation agencies. Not only for silverswords but for all the reforestation efforts around the higher elevations of Maunakea, We want to be a hub for restoration, astronomy and education. This partnership is a step in the right direction.”

    Maunakea Silverswords are related to the critically endangered Kaʻū silverswords, which grow on the southern slopes of Mauna Loa in its fogbelt at around 6,000 feet elevation. See more on Kaʻū silversword (Argyroxiphium kauense) at https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/1069 and
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/maunakea/library/reference.php?view=1495.

AN ANTI-TOBACCO CAMPAIGN called Stronger Together was announced on Wednesday by Gov. Josh Green and the state Department of Health along with the Hawai'i Public Health Institute. It is the second phase of a public service announcement campaign to call attention to strategies used by tobacco companies to target Hawaiʻi's diverse populations.
    A statement from Department of Health says, "In Hawai'i each year, the tobacco industry spends an estimated $26 million on marketing; more than triple the amount the state spends on tobacco prevention and control programs. Marketing tactics have included pricing strategies in certain communities, glamorizing menthol flavors, event sponsorships, and community outreach. In addition, the tobacco

industry has invested in and markets nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes or vaping, as a tactic to target youth. The tobacco industry is focused on specific populations including racial and ethnic minorities, those identifying as LGBTQ, those with lower incomes, and those with mental health or substance abuse conditions."
    The Stronger Together campaign identifies populations targeted by Big Tobacco which has led to higher proportions of tobacco use in these communities. The campaign is slated to run through April and includes TV, radio, digital, social media, and print advertisements.
    According to Lola Irvin, Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division Administrator, "Hawaiʻi has made great strides in reducing cigarette smoking overall, however the continual introduction of new products and tailored marketing strategies used by the tobacco industryhave pressured certain groups to use more tobacco than others. This campaign highlights the importance of health equity in the fight to end the tobacco epidemic in our state."
    Joshua Ching, a recent graduate of Kamehameha Schools, was inspired to join the Youth Council of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai'i after he saw first-hand how the tobacco industry targeted his peers. "The tobacco industry has a history of exploiting marginalized communities like Native Hawaiians, widening existing public health disparities that have wounded the lāhui generation after generation. That's why I'm committed to the fight against Big Tobacco and the fight for equal justice – because standing up for the right thing is what it means to be Hawaiian," said Ching.
    Organizers of the campaign encourage the public to visit the website, StrongerTogether.hawaii.gov, for more information about the tobacco industry's targeted marketing tactics and to connect with their local Tobacco-Free coalition to stay informed and get involved.    For those already addicted to tobacco products, Hawai'i Tobacco Quitline offers free coaching and resources to support the quit journey. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or enroll online at hawaiiquitline.org. My Life, My Quit is a free program with trained coaches to help youth quit smoking or vaping. Teens can sign up by texting "Start my Quit" to 36072 or calling 855-891-9989.

Image from state Department of Health and Hawai'i Health Institute.

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KAʻŪ'S ELECTED MEMBER TO THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE IN VOLCANO ON THURSDAY. Jeanne Kapela will meet and greet at Cooper Center on Wright Road in Volcano Village at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 23 and the public is invited to join in following the evening farmers market there.