ʻAlalā chick being fed by a look-alike, substitute ʻAlalā mom in a captive breeding facility. Photo from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance |
In its submittal to the Board of Land & Natural Resources, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife indicated the preferred alternative is to release ʻalalā in the Kīpahulu Forest Reserve for the first release effort to minimize potential impacts to rare snails and other native species. The environmental analysis also addressed potential impacts to other threatened and endangered plants and animals, to cultural, recreational and wilderness resources, and to public health and safety, air quality, climate change, and environmental justice.
The interdisciplinary team consulted with scientific experts and environmental partners from DLNR, USFWS, the National Park Service, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Released birds will come from the captive population of 120 birds. The birds are housed at two conservation breeding facilities managed by SDZWA on Maui and Hawaiʻi Islands.
DOFAW representatives told board members that after reviewing the final EA, they agree that a “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)” justifies the pilot release of ʻalalā in east Maui.
BLNR voted unanimously to approve the plan. No date for releases has been set.
ADDING A $25 FEE TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAXES already charged by the state and county would raise money for state Department of Land & Natural Resources to deal with climate change, according to a proposed bill from Gov. Josh Green before the Hawai'i Legislature.
Green said the money would be used to protect beaches, parks and natural treasures from extreme weather, without hiking taxes and fees on Hawai'i residents. He said the fee could bring in $68 million a year to the state.
Other proposals from legislatures would also add taxes to visitor accommodations, including raising the TAT by a percentage point.
Other proposals from legislatures would also add taxes to visitor accommodations, including raising the TAT by a percentage point.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
SOME 200 SMALL EARTHQUAKES REGISTERED AT KĪLAUEA VOLCANO on Saturday with
fewer on Sunday. The quakes continue to indicate repressurization of the sumit magma reservior, according to reports from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, The increase in pressure began when the latest eruption ended last September.
The heightened seismicity remains in the south caldera area. The tiltmeter near Sand Hill indicated Sunday morning an ongoing inflationary deformation. A tiltmeter near Uēkahuna bluff also responded to Saturday’s events, but to a lesser degree, as this instrument is not as sensitive to south caldera changes, reports USGS.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
COFFEE EDUCATION AT NOON ON TUESDAYS will be offered via zoom with live questions by University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources' Agricultural Extension Service. Here is the schedule:
- Jan. 30 - Using Priaxor for CLR Management: Chemistry Review and Best Usage Guidelines w/ Mike Ravalin of BASF
Feb. 6 - NO Presentation w/ Q&A scheduled
Feb. 13 - Coffee leaf rust research updates and pesticides registered in coffee w/ Julie Coughlin and
Zhang Cheng of CTAHRKaʻū and Kona coffee education series is at noon on Tuesdays.
Photo by Luis Aristizabal
Feb. 20 - Progress on coffee breeding for CLR-resistance w/ Ming-Li Wang of HARC
Feb. 27 - Micropropagation of coffee using somatic embryogenesis w/ Steve Starnes of UH Hilo
Mar. 5 - Optimizing location-specific pesticide applications for Coffee Berry Borer on Hawaii Island w/ Melissa Johnson of USDA ARS DKI PBARC
Mar. 12 - Coffee Leaf Rust in Puerto Rico: Patterns and Pathogens w/ Paul Bayman of Univ. of Puerto Rico
Mar. 19 - Black twig borer w/ Rob Curtiss of Washington State University and Bob Smith of Smith Farms
Mar. 26 - Management Tools for Kona Coffee Root-knot Nematode w/ Roxana Myers of USDA ARS DKI PBARC
Apr. 2 - Field trials controlling the coffee leaf rust infection by using fungicides in commercial coffee farms in Hawai'i w/ Luis Aristizabal of SHAC
Apr. 23 - Field pesticide and fertilizer trials and leaf disc assays w/ Lisa Keith of USDA PBARC
Apr. 30 - Coffee germplasm and update on the cupping of rust resistant varieties w/ Tracie Matsumoto of USDA PBARC,
The pre-recorded presentations will be hosted at the Kona Extension YouTube account and will be played at 12:00 pm on Zoom during the Tuesday webinars. A live online Q&A with the presenter(s) will take place after the presentation. Topics, presenters, and presentation titles are subject to change and will be updated at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/coffeewebinars.html.
SOME 200 SMALL EARTHQUAKES REGISTERED AT KĪLAUEA VOLCANO on Saturday with
fewer on Sunday. The quakes continue to indicate repressurization of the sumit magma reservior, according to reports from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, The increase in pressure began when the latest eruption ended last September.
The heightened seismicity remains in the south caldera area. The tiltmeter near Sand Hill indicated Sunday morning an ongoing inflationary deformation. A tiltmeter near Uēkahuna bluff also responded to Saturday’s events, but to a lesser degree, as this instrument is not as sensitive to south caldera changes, reports USGS.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.