Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, April 7, 2015

      A 28-year veteran of The Nature Conservancy, Case has served as its Executive Director in Hawai‘i since 2001. She oversees a program of 76 staff, 16 preserves totaling 53,000 acres and an annual operating budget of $11 million, working in native forest, coastal and marine conservation, directly and through partnerships, on six main Hawaiian Islands.

      Case is a seasoned negotiator with the old sugar plantations and more recent land investors in TNC’s efforts to preserve pristine forests and other natural environments. In Ka`u, she oversaw acquisition of the 116,000-acre Kahuku Ranch addition to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and TNC’s purchase of some of the most pristine native forests in Hawai`i. Purchasing Kamehame, the hawkbill turtle nexting site below Pahala, is another one of Case’s accomplishments. She also located TNC’s Hawai`i Island offices in Ka`u.
      During her years at The Nature Conservancy, Case has overseen acquisition of eight Hawai`i preserves, Palmyra Atoll, new national wildlife refuges at Hakalau on the slopes of Mauna Kea and at O`ahu Forest, as well as creation of watershed partnerships for forest management throughout the state, growth of networks of local communities working to restore their near-shore marine resources and implementation of large-scale projects to remove invasive algae from reefs and coastal areas.
      Case co-created Ke Ho`olono Nei, a Hawaiian song about loss and stewardship of native Hawaiian forest birds, and Maoli No, a free educational DVD of Hawaiian songs, chants and stories developed by The Nature Conservancy in 2003 for the Year of the Hawaiian Forest on the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Hawai`i forest reserve system.
      From 1987 to 2002, Case served as TNC Legal Counsel for the Conservancy’s Hawai`i Program, the western United States and internationally in the Asia/Pacific Region.
       Case was born in Hilo and grew up in Hilo and Honolulu. She attended Wai`akea-Kai Elementary School, Keaukaha Elementary School and Punahou School, where she was the first female student body president. She attended Williams College and Stanford University, graduating with honors. She received her law degree from Hastings College of the Law, University of California, San Francisco, where she was a member of the Hastings Law Journal. She practiced real estate transactions law at the law firm of Pettit & Martin in San Francisco from 1983 to 1987.
      Case in the sister of Ka`u’s former U.S. Rep. Ed Case and cousin of Steve Case, founder of AOL.
      Ige’s announcement follows his withdrawal of Carleton Ching, Vice President of Community and Government Relations for developer Castle & Cooke Hawai`i, as his first nominee for the position. The withdrawal came just prior to the Senate vote when polling indicated that the Senate would have rejected the nomination.
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ENHANCING KA`U’S ROADWAY NETWORK is one of the topics considered in the draft Ka`u Community Development Plan, now available for public review. 

      The draft CDP discusses road connectivity, prioritizes flood prevention and safety improvements along Wood Valley Road and Mamalahoa Highway and guides road improvements in Mark Twain and Green Sands subdivisions.
      The CDP addresses the Community Objective to establish a rural transportation network, including roadway alternatives to Hwy
11, a regional trail system and an interconnected transit system.
      It calls for all subdivision in the Ka`u CDP planning area, including condominium property regimes and planned unit developments, to conform to connectivity standards of the Hawai`i County Code.
      It instructs the county to install culverts and construct drainage channels and other related improvements as necessary to prevent flooding of roadways and other areas; improve safety on Wood Valley Road, possibly including posted speed limits, lane markers and stop signs; make intersection improvements at Pikake, Koali and Wood Valley Roads; continue to maintain roads-in-limbo in coordination with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and shoreline public access plans; and remove the Na`alehu bypass from the General Plan transportation map.
      The draft asks the state Department of Transportation to continue improving Mamalahoa Highway, realigning where necessary and prioritizing shoulder safety, particularly for bicyclists, including on the stretch of highway between Honu`apo and the Ka`u Police Station. It asks DOT to address community concerns about preservation of trees and stone walls along the highway when implementing the Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan in Na`alehu.
      Ka`u residents have four opportunities this month to view displays about parts of the CDP they are interested in, discuss CDP strategies with people familiar with the plan and provide feedback. Two this Saturday, April 11 are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
      On Sunday, April 19, residents can attend speak-outs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center.
      Residents can also submit feedback online or in writing by email, fax or mail.
      Copies of the draft Ka`u CDP are available at local libraries and community centers and at kaucdp.info.
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GOV. DAVID IGE HAS CALLED A TIMEOUT on construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Honolulu Star-Advertiser staff reported that University of Hawai`i and Office of Hawaiian Affairs officials today agreed to stop work at the summit of Mauna Kea for about a week. “We agreed there would be value to have some further dialogue on Mauna Kea,” Ige said. “I do know it’s a significant project, and this will give us some time to engage in further conversations with the various stakeholders that have an interest in Mauna Kea.” 

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THIS EVENING’S AFTER DARK IN THE PARK program presents an update on Kilauea’s summit eruption. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick’s update includes an overview of volcanic processes occurring within the vent.