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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Seal Slaying

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Seal Slaying

A Molokai monk seal has once again captured the island’s attention – this time for his unfortunate death. A male monk seal that has been known to swim in Molokai waters for the past several years was found dead on Dec. 14, 2009.

NOAA officials say he was intentionally shot, after performing a necropsy, and have opened an ongoing investigation on why and how the animal met its fate. It is against the law to kill an endangered species, like the Hawaiian monk seal, and being found guilty can carry a fine up to $50,000.

are an important part of Hawaiian natural resources,” Schofield said. “They were here before we were.” He added that anyone with any information about this latest incident should call 1-800-853-1964.

 

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New Law Makes Hope for Bright Future

Monday, January 4th, 2010

New Law Makes Hope for Bright Future

Blue Planet Foundation News Release

Hawai‘i took a major step towards clean energy leadership this week as the landmark “Solar Roofs” law took effect. The new law requires that almost all new homes be built with solar water heaters. Hawai‘i is the first state in the nation to make solar water heaters compulsory.

“Hawaii’s new law brings the benefit of free sunshine to new homeowners across our islands,” said Jeff Mikulina, Executive Director of the Blue Planet Foundation, a local non-profit focused at making Hawai‘i energy independent. “We are the Saudi Arabia of sun. Every house in the state should be tapping into this free resource.”

Solar water heaters are among the most effective means of reducing the high electricity bills that residents now pay. The Solar Roofs law will reduce the total cost of home ownership in Hawai‘i by cutting the electric utility bill of an average new home by 30 to 40 percent – saving about $750 each year for an average household. The Solar Roofs law is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide by upwards of 8,000 tons annually from avoided electricity use.

The law was the result of a bill introduced by Senator Gary Hooser (D – Kaua‘i) with strong support from House Energy Committee Chair Rep. Hermina Morita (D – Hanalei, N. Kaua‘i). The law states that “no building permit shall be issued for a new single-family dwelling that does not include a solar water heater system that meets the standards established pursuant to section 269-44.”

The law is flexible in that it allows some exemptions for those homeowners who can demonstrate that their home receives “poor solar resource” or that a solar water heater is “cost-prohibitive” based on a 15-year life cycle cost-benefit analysis.

Supporters of the law are worried that there are still some loopholes that need to be made smaller for the law to have its desired effect. Legislators will be asked to revisit the law if a high percentage of developers seek variances for new home construction. Bills have already been prepared to tighten the variance requirements to ensure that the intent of the law remains.

Solar water heating is a foundation block in building Hawaii’s clean energy future.  A solar water system is the most basic renewable energy device to harness the clean energy from the sun. Solar water heaters provide the greatest energy savings per dollar for reducing substantial residential energy demand.

 

The Solar Roofs law ensures that the vast majority of new homes will have solar water heaters and smooth the transition to zero-energy homes of the future. Further, with solar water heaters a standard feature on new homes, residents will be more accustomed to the benefits of solar, turning more of them into potential customers for photovoltaic and other renewable energy devices.

“Hawai‘i can be proud to lead the nation with this policy,” added Mikulina. “At a time when the globe hungers for smart energy solutions, Hawai‘i is demonstrating how it can be done.”

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West End Mansion Still Uncertain

Monday, December 14th, 2009

West End Mansion Still Uncertain

Eight months after being exempted from a Special Management Area (SMA) permit, Pierluigi Zappacosta is no closer to building his proposed 20,000 square foot farm dwelling on Molokai’s west end, nor is his opposition any closer to stopping him.

The Molokai Planning Commission (MoPC) met last week to continue to sort through the tangled web of legal procedures surrounding the controversial project. The commissioners decided they would wait until January to decide whether or not to hear an appeal on their April 22 decision to exempt Zappacosta from obtaining the SMA permit.

or the reasons we made the decision,” said Commissioner Napua Leong. Leong, who spearheaded the motion to allow Morgan’s appeal, asked the appellant to do a better job of capturing the commission’s reasons for allowing the appeal rather than his own.

The commissioners decided that a final decision on whether or not to hear the appeal would be made at their next meeting, schedule for Jan. 13. MoPC Vice-Chair Steve Chaikin said if Morgan’s report was not up to par at that meeting, the group would have to reconsider their decision to let him appeal.

 

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Off to the Capitol

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Off to the Capitol

Washington D.C. is a day of traveling away, but worlds apart from what most Molokai High School students are used to. It has stoplights, an area population in the millions, and museums with artifacts documenting the birth of our nation. But, as these students said, they will have the opportunity to use the nation’s capitol as their classroom to better understand their country.

This year, a record number 23 students from Molokai High School are signed up to participate in Close Up, a nonprofit organization that brings U.S. and international students to visit and study in our nation’s capitol. The week-long excursion will be over spring break in 2010.

The $2500 price tag for the trip is steep, but it comes with the opportunity to discuss and debate domestic and international issues with other students around the country, as well as meet members of Congressional staff, visit museums like the Smithsonian, monuments like the World War II memorial, and government buildings like the Supreme Court. Each student is responsible for raising their own money for the trip.

,” Mokuau said.

The students will be traveling to Washington D.C. from March 14 – 19, and are still actively seeking donations. They will continue to hold fundraisers until their trip, and encourage anyone interested to contribute.

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Too Few Tuna

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Too Few Tuna

NOAA News Release

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dropping its baseline catch limits for bigeye tuna by 400 metric tons. The new limit applies to the U.S. pelagic longline fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean that will stand through 2011. The limits are being placed because the species’ Pacific Ocean population is subject to overfishing.

The rule, published last week in the Federal Register, puts in place catch limits for longline fisheries, which target adult bigeye. Under this rule, the U.S. will reduce its longline catch of bigeye tuna from the 2004 baseline catch of 4,181 metric tons (mt) to 3,763 mt.

Once the 3,763 mt catch limit is reached in any of those years, retaining, shipping or landing bigeye tuna caught in the western and central Pacific Ocean will be prohibited for the remainder of the year, with limited exceptions. The catch limit will not apply to the longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the international body which manages highly migratory fish species like bigeye tuna, agreed to the catch limits in both their longline and purse seine fisheries at their meeting last December.

Earlier this year, NOAA published a rule limiting fishing days by purse seine vessels and restricting tuna purse seine sets on floating objects known as fish aggregation devices, in an effort to reduce the catch of juvenile bigeye tuna.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov

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Floods ID Molokai as Disaster Area

Friday, December 11th, 2009

USDA News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Hawaii and Maui counties in Hawaii as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2009, and continuing.

Kalawao County was designated a natural disaster area Dec. 9, 2009, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.  

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.  FSA will take into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. 

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The King of Roi

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

The King of Roi

Community Contributed

What started off as a senior project for Kumu Spencer-Misaki, soon became something much bigger and much more meaningful to him and to Molokai’s community. 

Kumu’s project was to address how to control the population of the peacock grouper fish, better known here in Hawai’i as roi.  It is an invasive species that was introduced to Hawaii in 1956 from French Polynesia as a food source.

However, it soon became apparent that the majority of the roi contained ciguatera a toxin that when consumed, can cause extreme sickness.  The roi also began eating a lot of Hawai’i’s reef fish.  A roi can consume 150 fish annually and its lifespan is approximately 13 years.  So in essence, one roi can consume 1950 fish in its lifetime.

Kumu took home two of the prizes for his own hard work. He won for the smallest fish (.17 lbs) and for the most caught by a team. He and his teammates Wilfred Spencer, John Borden, and Randy Cabreros brought in 64 fish, 31 of which were caught by Cabreros. Ehu Rawlins won the biggest catch of the day at 5.1 lbs.
All in all, the tournament brought in 392 roi in far from ideal conditions. Cameraman Cal Hirai said it was the most he had seen at any tournament this year.

After the prizes were awarded, Kumu presented Camie Kimball, Molokai High School Athletic Director, with a check for $1500.  Kumu also donated an additional $122 that he made by raffling a spear that was made by Eddie Castro.
Kumu decided to donate the money to the high school despite not playing any sports. He also has been working hard to raise funds for a school trip to Washington D.C. in March, but did not keep any of his hard-earned roi money for that trip. 

It was not just an individual who made all this happen, it was a community.  In these hard times, Molokai continues to do what we do best, support each other.  This was evident by the amount divers that came out in force that day, the businesses and individuals who so generously donated prizes, and the families that gave of their time and support.  Without all of them, this could not have been possible.

 

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In Good Hands

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

In Good Hands

The waterfalls, lo`i and lush, green vegetation that cloak the Kawaikapu watershed on Molokai’s east end are here to stay. The Molokai Land Trust (MLT) purchased a 196.4 acre section of the sacred grounds last week.

The land’s previous owners, Greg and Tracy Gordon, sought to sell the property because it was becoming too much for them to handle. The 8.5 million square feet of land was being worn away by erosion, invasive species and animal damage.

“This land needed a better future and Molokai Land Trust offered a permanent solution by putting the land into conservation versus sold and developed,” Greg Gordon said.

Gordon originally turned to Ke Apuni Lokahi, a local community development non-profit organization, to help him find a safe owner for the land. They put Gordon in touch with MLT.

Last year, MLT took a major leap towards purchasing the land with a $767,976 grant from DLNR’s Legacy Lands Conservation Program.

“767,976 – that is a number I will not forget for as long as I live,” Haase said.

The County of Maui came through last month with the final piece of the puzzle - $480,000 through its Open Space, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources and Scenic Views Preservation fund. Last Monday, MLT officially gained ownership of the land from the Gordons.

“It’s our first land that we actually outright own,” Haase said. “Now, we actually have some tangible results, which is a very nice feeling.”

MLT was formed in 2006 to preserve and restore land on Molokai. Along with Kawaikapu, they currently hold 99-year leases on 1,695 acres of land on the island’s west end. 

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Recycling Center To Close

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, announced today that the Molokai Metals Recycling Facility at the Molokai Landfill has reached its permitted storage capacity and will be closed temporarily beginning Friday, Dec. 11. The site was designed to be an interim facility; a permanent site is being built and is expected to open in late Spring of 2010.

The facility has been accepting vehicles, appliances, scrap metal, tires, propane tanks and car batteries. During the temporary closure, no materials will be accepted in accordance with State Department of Health permit requirements.

For more information, contact the Solid Waste Division at (808) 270-7875. Callers on Molokai may dial 1-800-272-0117 and request extension 7875.

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