Author Archives: Megan Stephenson

New Kalaupapa Air Service Decided Soon

Monday, June 20th, 2011

The final phase for a potential change to Kalaupapa’s air service has begun – three airlines have bid to serve the community with promises to lower airfare, and the comment period from the public ended last week.

The Kalaupapa community has asked the Department of Transportation (DOT) for affordable air fares to and from the remote peninsula, hoping for an airline that will be able to provide three flights a day with wheelchair accessibility. The community said they are not satisfied with Pacific Wings (PW) skyrocketing airfares, which currently provides regular flights to Kalaupapa.

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Veteran’s Corner

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Community Contributed

Column by Jesse Church

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UH Maui Receives Dollars for Job Training

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Sen. Daniel Akaka News Release

The University of Hawaii (UH) will receive $4.3 million to continue a 14-year old program that provides job training and educational opportunities to more than 800 residents each year who live in underserved, rural communities on Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, and Molokai. Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye announced the funding last week.

The national unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent in May, and job creation has fallen to its lowest point in eight months. Maui County reported a 20 percent decrease in unemployment compared with one year ago.

Posted in Community, Education, Government, News Releases

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Monk Seal Habitat Revision

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

NOAA News Release

Due to the rapid decrease in the Hawaiian monk seal population, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Fisheries Service has proposed to revise the critical habitat area for monk seals, and is inviting public comment.

The proposed revision includes expanding the 1988 critical habitat designation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and adding new areas throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.

Posted in Community, Environment, News Releases

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Open House for Kalaupapa Planning

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Preserving, protecting and sharing Kalaupapa is a delicate process – a balance between government agencies, the settlement’s history of both Native Hawaiians and Hansen’s disease patients, and family members and tourists who want to learn all they can about Kalaupapa. The National Park Service (NPS) has been collecting mana`o and ideas from all spectrums for the Kalaupapa General Management Plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The General Management Plan (GMP) process officially began in 2009 with several public scoping sessions. NPS staff planners then came up with four alternatives, incorporating four different ways the park could be managed for the next 15-20 years.

Last week, NPS held another public session, open house style at the Mitchell Pauole Center. They presented four potential plans as they stand now, and asking for more opinion to ensure all opinions are heard.

“[We want] to really connect with the community, to make sure we’re not missing things along the way,” said Steve Prokop, NPS superintendent for Kalaupapa.

Everyone’s experience with Kalaupapa should be “hands on,” said Boogie Kahilihiwa, a patient living in Kalaupapa who attended the topside open house. Kahilihiwa said any plan should ensure the entire history of the peninsula is included. “[We’re] not the only ones telling the story, but [the visitor] is there [feeling it].”

,” he said.

Other comments included residents’ requests for more local access to the area, and more agricultural and cultural perpetuation. Karen Holt, executive director of the Molokai Community Service Council, suggested involving resource management from topside organizations.

“Kalaupapa will forever serve as a place of knowledge,” Waros added.

Moving Forward
Comments will continue to be taken until July 16, and NPS offers a variety of ways to get involved. The public can complete the electronic comment card at parkplanning.nps.gov/kala (the preferred method); email to KALA_GMP@nps.gov; send a letter to Superintendent Prokop (Kalaupapa National Historical Park, P.O. Box 2222, Kalaupapa, HI 96742); or call 567-6802 ex. 1103.

The GMP and draft EIS are due for public review eight months to a year from now, according to Prokop, and the final review will be done in 2013. NPS expects implantation of the approved plan and subsequent statements (EIS, Cultural Impact Statement, etc.) to begin in 2013.

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High Tech Summer Camp Targets Wahine

Friday, June 10th, 2011

Maui Economic Development Board News Release

Middle and high school students interested in the latest Digital Media and GIS technologies are encouraged to sign up for two exciting summer software camps scheduled at the Maui Research and Technology park this June.

Sponsored by the Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology (WIT) project, the Digital Media Camp will be held on June 13 -17 followed by the GIS Software Camp, June 23-24.

Designed to help students experience cutting-edge technology used to benefit major community projects, the Geographic Information System or GIS workshop will be taught by Diana Papini-Warren.

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Star Poets Celebrates Molokai Winners

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Community Contributed

By Diane Abraham

Molokai is an island full of talented young people. On May 15, 2011, Star Poets, which is a project of Windward Community College, the Hawaii Council for the Humanities, and the Hawaii Writing Project, had its 11th annual awards ceremony. Molokai, for the first time involving elementary students, produced two winning poets.

Alia-Marie Gomes Madela, a fourth grader at Kualapu`u School, along with Kahawai Tancayo, a fifth-grader in Kula Kaiapuni O Kualapu`u, wrote winning poems. Winning students received cash prizes and shared their poems at the ceremony at the beautiful Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College. The poems are judged anonymously; that is, the students’ names and schools are removed prior to being judged, so the officials have no idea whether they are reading a poem from a student at Iolani, Punahou or a school on Molokai. With over 2,100 entries, congratulations are due to these two young ladies on their writing skills and the depth of the content of their poems.

Equally exciting for Alia-Marie and Kahawai is that they will be able to share their poems when the Honolulu Theater for Youth brings its annual production to Molokai. This year’s season is “Poetry Fever” and will highlight student poetry in a theatrical format. Stay tuned for a date!

Halawa: A Special and Sacred Place
by Alia-Marie Gomes Madela (fourth grade)

Halawa is on the eastern shore of Molokai.
It is a hard place to get to, you must really want to be there.
On the windy steep roads with many sharp curves,
You may be lucky to see Hawaii’s endangered nene goose.
To the sparkle of the year-long waterfall,
To the beach where the crabs crawl,
This is Halawa.
From the dark sand to the tall cliffs and
The circle bay,
This is Halawa.
It is a place for swimming and reflection,
It is a place that once was home to many ancient people.
This is Halawa.

The Baby `Ali`i
By Kahawai Tancayo (fifth grade)

He was born and supposed to die
Nae`ole saved him that night
The water is shining
The moon is hiding
As Nae`ole runs into the mountain
The baby, Kamehameha, doesn’t cry
As he looks at the night sky
Can they survive?

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Wind Developer Invites Mana`o

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Pattern Energy News Release

In March of this year, Pattern Energy was introduced as the preferred developer for a potential 200 megawatt (MW) wind project on Molokai Properties Ltd. (MPL) lands. Since that time, Pattern Energy has formed Molokai Renewables LLC and is working with Bio-Logical Capital to explore the project. We believe that a wind project on Molokai has the potential to help provide a wide range of benefits to the Molokai community and to generate clean energy for Hawaii.

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Save an Endangered Plant

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service News Release

A rare plant, found only in the wet forests of eastern Molokai, was designated an endangered species in 2009. A draft Recovery Plan for the plant, called Phyllostegia hispida, is available for public comment, with the addition of a recent addendum. The draft plan is published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Phyllostegia hispida, known only by its scientific name, is a nonaromatic member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is a loosely spreading, many-branched vine that often forms large tangled masses, and is known only from the wet forests of eastern Molokai at elevations between 3,650 and 4,200 feet.

Posted in Community, Environment, Environment & Ecology, News Releases, Sustainability Add your comment

Scientists Gather on Molokai to Study Monk Seals

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Community Contributed

By Diane Pike, Molokai Marine Mammal Response Team Coordinator

Two visiting scientists joined NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) researchers on Molokai last week to study the diet and feeding behavior of the Hawaiian monk seal.

The team collected scat (seal poop) samples and tagged animals. Researchers caught seals to deploy cellphone tags that collect detailed information on animal movements and diving behavior. This allows researchers to identify important feeding locations for the seals.

Dr. Charles Littnan, the lead scientist for NOAA’s Monk Seal Research Program, described the findings to date, “We have learned that a lot of monk seals from Molokai feed along Penguin Bank and the west coast of the island from shallow waters down to 350 feet or deeper.”

The research this week was building upon over four years of work on resident seals.

Dr. Alex Karamanlidis, a Greek researcher working on the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, has come to Hawaii to share experiences between the two seal programs in a hope to recover both species. The two types of seals separated some 12-15 million years ago but find themselves in the same dangerous position of near extinction today.

“Despite being separated by 8,500 miles, Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seal face similar threats and conservation challenges,” Karamanlidis said.

Having never been to Hawaii or observing wild monk seals, Dr. Karamanlidis was struck by the differences between the two seals. “Mediterranean monk seals are often in conflict with humans and haul out in remote and inaccessible sea caves. As a Mediterranean monk seal researcher, it was a unique experience for me to visit the beautiful island of Molokai and see monk seals hauling out on pristine coral beaches.”

Dash Masland, a National Geographic Young Explorer from Maine, has come to Hawaii to help NOAA better understand the diet Hawaiian monk seals. Masland’s research is funded by a National Geographic Channel grant that was awarded based on public voting on the internet during a month long competition. Masland received 60 percent of the 40,000 total votes, sending her to Hawaii.

Masland plans to use genetics to identify important fish in the feces of monk seals. “I was floored by all the wonderful feedback I received during the National Geographic competition and how much the world cares about the Hawaiian monk seal,” she said. “I really hope that I can use my expertise to help everyone better understand the seals. The last three days at La`au have been amazing!”

The Hawaiian monk seal population is currently estimated at around 1,100 seals, with about 200 in the main Hawaiian Islands. NOAA Fisheries is working to understand and solve the causes of the population decline in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and find ways to manage the small and growing population of seals in main eight islands.

“Collaborations like this trip with scientists, managers and the community are critical for the future of the species,” Littnan said. “We need to find solutions for recovery and coexistence of man and seals.”

More research and outreach will continue on Molokai in the future.