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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Beginning Farmers Up and Running

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Beginning Farmers Up and Running

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

Food security is vital to our survival on Molokai in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. As one of the most isolated places in the world, we continue to rely on almost 90 percent of our food and items vital for our survival coming from over 3000 miles away. Yet still, we only have enough food in Hawaii to last about seven days – just enough time for the next container ship to arrive. What if the barge doesn’t arrive one day? We need to focus on developing more farmers.

After getting some of the infrastructure functional and selecting participants, the Molokai Native Hawaiian Beginning Farmer Program is up and running. An orientation meeting and workshops were held in production mapping, introduction to farm production, soil fertility, organic agriculture, marketing, and drip irrigation. Classes are being planned as the beginning farmers enter that phase in their farm development.

With over 7,600 acres of agricultural land and water available from the Molokai Irrigation System, the Ho`olehua Hawaiian Homes area is a natural for this kind of program. With farmers aging nationally, the average age of farmers is 57 years old while the average age of the workforce is 38 years of age. We have made a commitment to help develop the next generation of farmers to complement those already farming in order to maintain a critical mass of small farmers needed on Molokai.

Participant’s plots were prepared by mowing, ripping, and disking. Crops were selected, and include lettuces, sweet corn, mixed local vegetables, laying chickens, taro, and others. Participants are expected to harvest on a regular basis and deliver to local markets or other avenues to sell their crops. This program has a strong business management and production focus. Participants were required to complete a production map, approved by project managers to assure the plan is well thought out and covers as many what-ifs as possible. With an acceptable production plan, participants can then move forward to implement their plan.

The Molokai Native Hawaiian Beginning Farmer Program is an education and training initiative of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Molokai Cooperative Extension Service. This project was supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information, contact our office at 567-6929. We’re located next to the Ho`olehua Post Office.

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DHHL to Extend Protections for Mo`omomi

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

DHHL to Extend Protections for Mo`omomi

Nearly six months after wind energy company First Wind announced it would not pursue plans to build a wind farm on Hawaiian homestead land, homesteaders are still looking for a guarantee against development on Mo`omomi-Anahaki on Molokai’s north coast.

That guarantee may be on its way. At a beneficiary meeting last Wednesday, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) presented plans to designate Mo`omomi-Anahaki a special district.

All DHHL-owned land is assigned one of 10 land uses – for example, pastoral, commercial or residential. Mo`omomi-Anahaki, which is within the Ho`olehua-Pala`au Homestead, is currently designated for general agriculture.

As a special district, the department would establish preservation zones around all cultural site complexes, as well as a shoreline setback. No development exceeding three stories would be permitted in the area. Agriculture would still be permitted as long as it doesn’t conflict with special district guidelines.

First Wind had been in talks with DHHL to build on homestead land adjacent to the Ho`olehua Airport. In May, according to First Wind, the Federal Aviation Administration told the company the land’s proximity to the airport raised safety concerns and nixed the plans.

But homesteaders continued to worry about development on DHHL land, particularly at Mo`omomi-Anahaki. At a contentious meeting in July with the DHHL Planning Department, homesteaders pushed to designate the area a “No Build” zone.

Since then, DHHL planners and the community have collaborated on surveys of the area, including natural and cultural resources, to support the amendment, which was presented at last week’s meeting.

“So within this special district, no 400 foot windmills? No undersea power cable, correct?” one homesteader asked.

“We need protecting, we need guarantee,” said another.

Homesteader Lori Buchanan asked about expanding the special use area to include all of DHHL land on the northern coast. This would require more surveys, according to Kaleo Manuel, a DHHL planner.

“This is a step in the right direction to address the immediate concerns of the community,” he said.

Manuel said he hopes to have the amendment on the Hawaiian Homes Commission’s December meeting agenda and passed before the next governor takes office and appoints a new commission chair.

“Time is of the essence,” said Henry Tancayo, the Molokai representative on the Hawaiians Homes Commission.

While most at the meeting said they were happy with DHHL’s proposal, at times the discussion moved from the land use designation to more immediate concerns, namely the state of access roads to Mo`omomi.
 
“Before we should look at any proposed district, we should malama what’s there,” one homesteader said. Corene Helm compared it to driving on soft cinnamon.

Mac Poepoe, a longtime resource manager for the Mo`omomi area, agreed.

“It’s not as flowery as you might think – there are a lot of problems we have down there,” Poepoe said. “At some point the department has to step up.”

DHHL planners met with surrounding landowners this week. They plan to host another beneficiary meeting on Nov. 17 to present more details of the amendment, incorporating comments from last week’s meeting, before sending it to the Homes Commission.

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Wetland Restoration Approved Despite Contention

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Wetland Restoration Approved Despite Contention

It started simply enough: transform an overgrown wetland into a habitat for endangered water birds. But after three years of seeking approval from federal, state and county officials – and enduring objections from the community over his plans – Kip Dunbar is anxious to begin work.

Dunbar plans to restore about an acre of deteriorated wetland on the east end, skimming the water’s surface down 18 inches to remove invasive vegetation and building a fence around the perimeter to keep out predators.

“Slowly but surely this wetland has narrowed and narrowed,” Dunbar said. “Once you take the vegetation out of there and it stops transpiring all the water, it’ll be a wetland again.”

,” he said.

He hopes to have the project complete within a year, though work will be weather-dependant.

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Coast Guard Cleans Up Ilio Point

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

U.S. Coast Guard News Release

A previously used dump site has been discovered at the base of a cliff at Ilio Point, and the Coast Guard has begun an environmental cleanup project to remove the hazardous materials.

The dump was used prior to 1966 when the Coast Guard operated a Long Range Navigation Station on Molokai. Testing of the site has indicated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, more commonly known as PCBs, as well as heavy metals. A contractor has been hired to remove the waste and return the environment to its natural state.

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Disaster Relief

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Disaster Relief

Anxiety attacks, severed limbs and third-degree burns were treated during a mock plane crash at Ho`olehua airport’s triennial emergency training simulation last Thursday.

As students from Aka`ula School tapped into their dramatization skills, the Federal Aviation Administration tested airport staff and Molokai’s police and fire departments for their compliance with emergency regulations.  The exercise also analyzed the communication between local emergency responders and their county and state counterparts.

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Solar Maxed Out…Again

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Solar Maxed Out…Again

Residents looking to include renewable energy to power their homes in Kalae, Kualapu`u and parts of Ho`olehua must now join the waiting line. Like Kaunakakai, the power circuit is temporarily tapped out.

Two recent applications for solar energy systems from Coffees of Hawaii and the Molokai Arts Center, located in Kualapu`u, brought Molokai’s northwest circuit to its limit of 15 percent renewable energy.

Molokai’s island-wide power grid, which is supplied electricity from a Maui Electric Company (MECO) diesel-powered plant in Pala`au, now needs an interconnection study, according to the utility. The study would determine whether or not MECO can maintain reliable utility services  to Kaunakakai and northwest Molokai, should further renewable power be added to the respective circuits. Previously, the cost of the study was placed on the customer – estimated by MECO to be between $30,000 and $35,000.

“It already hurts business,” said Matt Yamashita, Rising Sun Solar salesman on Molokai. “[There are] two large pools of Molokai residents who basically can’t afford solar right now.”

However, hope appears to be on the way. MECO recently received federal stimulus funds it plans to use for the interconnection study on Molokai’s grid. The study is scheduled to begin early next year.

Tapped Out
Each island has its own separate electric system also known as a grid. The grid, broken up into various segments called circuits, can only handle a certain amount of renewable energy. This is because renewable energy sources fluctuate (think of moving clouds that can block the sun from a solar panel) causing unpredictable surges of electricity. To keep the island from going dark on a cloudy day, the Hawaii State Public Utilities Commission (PUC) limits the amount of renewable energy allowed within the grid.


Looking Forward
To help utility companies comply with the state renewable energy goal – 70 percent clean and renewable energy production by the year 2030 – the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) recently released $2.1 million of stimulus funds to the Hawaii Electric Light Company and MECO to pay for energy storage units and to fund the Molokai interconnection study.

Molokai has some of the highest utility rates in the state, Besasso pointed out, and solar power can bring those costs down and create jobs at the same time. Solar companies, utility companies and the state need to work together:

“Hawaii is the new test bed in the nation for figuring out some of these problems,” he added.

The study is likely to shed new light on Molokai’s grid capacity – possibly opening the circuits to additional renewable energy systems.

“We recognize Molokai as a solar and wind resource,” said Ted Peck, a state energy administrator for DBEDT. “We want to enable that, in a cost effective way for people.”

Cost is number one on some residents’ minds. Sue Forbes already utilizes solar for heating water in her home. However, when she learned how affordable solar installation is becoming, she began to look into how to expand from a few panels to a system that pays for itself in electricity savings.

“Where we live, the sun is out all time,” Forbes said, adding her electric bill went up “quite a bit” last month when rates were raised.

Solar energy, she added, “makes sense – people are always talking about being sustainable, if it’s possible why don’t we all do it?”

Reporter Abby Spegman contributed to this article.

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Organic Farmers Eligible for Certification Reimbursement

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Department of Agriculture News Release

To aid organic farmers, livestock operators and produce handlers in their organic certification, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is currently accepting applications for cost-share assistance.

Federal funding of up to $95,000 has been allotted to help Hawaii agribusinesses with the cost of organic certification, through two separate cooperative agreements executed between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and HDOA.

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Soaking Up the Sun

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Soaking Up the Sun

Molokai General Hospital (MGH) has recently completed installation of the largest solar electricity generation system on the island. The 105 kilowatt-sized system will provide about a quarter of the hospital’s electricity consumption, or 500-600 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day. That’s approximately 30 times the electricity used to power the average home.

The photovoltaic system was installed without costing the hospital a dime, according to MGH Vice President Randy Lite, though a Power Purchase Agreement. The agreement is between Solar Power Partners, a California company that owns the panels and paid for their installation; Hilo-based ProVision Solar, which designed and installed the system; and MGH.

The Power Purchase Agreement allows MGH to pay a pre-determined rate for the electricity generated over the course of the agreement contract, rather than paying a Maui Electric (MECO) rate that is variable based on gas prices. The hospital will pay Solar Power Partners directly for the electricity generated from the panels, according to Marco Mangelsdorf, president of ProVision Solar. 

Lite said MGH has been considering solar since the 1990s, when several companies contacted them about installing a system. As a nonprofit organization, the hospital could not take advantage of state and federal tax breaks for solar installations, and it was not financially feasible to install panels.

He explained that the Power Purchase Agreement made the solar system possible by reducing both their electric bills and their carbon footprint without having to pay for the system out of pocket. Mangelsdorf said investors look for places in the U.S. with high electric rates and good commercial locations for long-term investments in solar energy.

The 20-year agreement offers the option to buy the equipment at the end of that period.

Going Green, Saving Green
MGH consumes about 2500 kWh of energy per day, with electric bills to MECO as high as $38,000 per month. The photovoltaic system installed on the hospital roof will take a big chunk out of that cost.

In addition, MGH will pay Solar Power Partners lower rates that MECO charges for the energy generated. While Lite could not disclose exactly what those rates are, he said they are approximately the same as what MECO was charging for its electricity back in 2005.

The MGH system is the island’s largest photovoltaic system, second to that of Friendly Market Center at 81 kW. Lite said the hospital will not realize as much savings as FMC, which is a for-profit organization and reaping tax credits for their installation. But he said the deal still allows the hospital to go green.

The system is estimated to generate 170,000 kWh of clean energy in the first year of operation. That’s the same as removing the annual emissions from almost 14,000 gallons of gasoline, according to a Solar Power Partners press release.

The photovoltaic installation on MGH, part of Queen’s Health Systems, is in keeping with the Queen’s corporate goal of supporting renewable energy, according to Lite. However, Facilities Engineer for Queen’s, Micheal Kimseu, said MGH is one of only two Queen’s facilities equipped with photovoltaic that he knows of. The other is a small system installed this year on a laboratory associated with Queen’s on Oahu. Kamsue called Queen’s “behind the times in renewable energy” because its nonprofit status makes installations financially difficult.

Mangelsdorf said the MGH system consists of five “arrays” or groupings, of solar panels. The arrays cover about a tenth of the total roof space. The panels must be cleaned four times per year to maintain maximum output production. Mangelsdorf said dirt that accumulates on the panels degrades their energy output over time.

In addition to the photovoltaic panels, Mangelsdorf installed a remote monitoring system that can be accessed via the internet. While the monitoring system is not open to the public, Mangelsdorf said it can provide valuable information for people to learn more about solar energy or install their own photovoltaic system. He added in the future, the data from the monitoring system may be available to Molokai schools as a learning tool.

This is the last photovoltaic grid-attached system for the Kaunakakai circuit, based on current limits set by the Public Utilities Commission. Residents and businesses still have the option of building off-grid systems, or paying for a MECO feasibility study for grid-connected systems.

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MECO Receives Funds to Study Molokai

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

To increase renewable energy storage, the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has awarded $2.1 million in federal stimulus funds to electric companies on Hawaii Island and Maui County.

Maui Electric Company (MECO) will receive $1.2 million to pay for an interconnection study on Molokais only grid, to identify any system upgrades that would allow for more generation distribution to be added to the circuit.

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Growing Upland Taro: Part II

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Growing Upland Taro: Part II

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent

In growing taro, water control is important. Using a timer is an efficient way to control water frequency and duration, and assures that surface roots are moist daily. Fertilizer and roots will only move where there is water. Clogging and pinching of the drip irrigation line is a major concern when growing taro, and some farmers will lay extra drip lines between the rows when there’s first indication of this problem. Insufficient water is the greatest stressor of taro, so some farmers are converting to new kinds of drip line that’s more rigid and less likely to pinch or clog.

Wind protection is important, but taro also needs good air circulation to deter diseases and pests. A major disease is leaf blight caused by a fungus called Phytophthora (‘leaf destroyer’) and is more prevalent at higher elevations than in the lowlands. This disease can melt the leaves and affect starch content and the sticky quality of poi. A week of cool wet weather creates ideal conditions for this disease, but increasing air circulation by planting farther apart during winter months can mitigate this problem. New hybrids developed by the University of Hawaii appear to be more tolerant to this disease. By crossing Hawaiian varieties with South Pacific and Asian varieties, hybrids have been created that are more vigorous and can overcome the disease quicker than the Hawaiian varieties. However, when conditions are ideal for the disease, it moves rapidly to affect all varieties, even the hybrids. Stories of ten feet tall plants with 20 pound taro throughout the state derived from these hybrids are not exaggerated. Still, the proof is in the poi, and it’s hard to beat a well grown Hawaiian wetland taro. However upland taro growers are coming close to producing tasty, sticky poi that’s difficult to distinguish from wetland poi.

Bringing the taro to harvest can be a challenge. Among the pests are aphids, ants and mealy bugs, root knot nematodes, and spider mites. The key to controlling most pests is to grow a healthy plant and not allow it to get stressed. For home gardeners, spraying the plants with water early in the day can control many pests, but be sure plants are dry when the sun goes down. Wet plants at night can create fungal and bacterial problems. Adding lots of organic matter prior to planting, planting green manure crops such as sunn hemp as a rotation, and practicing fallow can help to minimize nematodes. It’s also a good idea not to plant in the same area for a year or more to break the pest cycle and give the soil a rest.

You can tell the taro is mature by the size of the huli. After reaching a peak in their height, the plant will drop back and shrink down. The top of the taro corm will start to form a dome. If you have a lot of taro, it’s a good idea to start eating them before they’re fully mature, so when you get to the end of your field, the last taro is not over-mature. Some taro, like Moi or Piko types can be held in the field after maturity while Lehua and Mana need to be harvested when mature or it will start to rot quickly. Growing your own taro can be a very gratifying experience, and even more gratifying when you share it with others.

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