77 Hookele St., Suite 202 Kahului, HI 96732 Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts 2015 Annual Report DLNR– Division of Water & Land Management USDA– Natural Resource Conservation Service Serving Olinda– Kula SWCD Hana SWCD West Maui SWCD Central Maui SWCD
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77 Hookele St., Suite 202
Kahului, HI 96732
Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts
2015
Annual Report
DLNR– Division of Water & Land Management
USDA– Natural Resource Conservation Service
Serving
Olinda– Kula SWCD
Hana SWCD
West Maui SWCD
Central Maui SWCD
Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts
Island of Maui VP Message
The Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are legally constituted, self governing
units under the Hawaii Soil and Water Conservation Law, Chapter 180, Hawaii Revised
Statutes. We were organized for the protection and conservation of soil and water re-
sources.
The SWCDs exist under the State Department of Land and Natural Resources. Its board of
directors consists of five voting directors, and associates. SWCD Directors are volunteer
citizens from their respective communities, working to provide a healthy natural resources
environment for the people by coordinating technical, financial, and educational resources.
All of the programs involving SWCDs are community based. SWCD directors welcome community input toward
identifying natural resource problems. The SWCD Program carries out its activities in partnership with County,
State, and Federal agencies.
We truly appreciate the ongoing support we receive from DLNR, USDA-NRCS, U.H. Cooperative Extension Ser-
vice, Mayor Alan Arakawa, Maui County Council Members, Maui County Dept. of Public Works and Environ-
mental Management, Office of Economic Development, State Dept. of Agriculture, Department of Health, Coastal
Zone Management, Maui County Farm Bureau, and Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development.
Sincerely,
JoLoyce Kaia
USDA NRCS
District Conservationist Message
The cooperative efforts between the USDA-Natural Resources Conser-
vation Service, Kahului Field Office and the Maui Soil Water Conser-
vation District personnel are reaching out to the community to provide
conservation technical assistance and Farm Bill Programs. The Farm
Bill not only provides tools and resources to make a major difference in
improving Maui’s natural resources, but also provides working lands
for production for the lives of farming and ranching families and the
communities in which they live.
The 2014 Farm Bill Programs address soil, water, air, plants and ani-
mals at various levels of resource treatments on grassland, non-industrial forest land, organic and conventional cropland
through financial and technical assistance for the following programs; 1) Environmental Quality Incentives Program; 2)
Committee, East Maui Watershed Partnership, West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership, West Maui Watershed Co-
ordinator, Environmental Protection Agency, US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA- Farm Service Agency and the Tri-
Isle Resource Conservation & Development.
Ranae Ganske-Cerizo
District Conservationist
Maggie Kramp
Maui SWCDs
Administrative Assistant
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Kahului Field Office Staff
Ranae Ganske-Cerizo
USDA NRCS
District Conservationist
Carl Hashimoto
USDA NRCS
Soil Conservation Technician
Kahana Stone
USDA NRCS
Soil Conservationist
Ryan Woolbright
USDA NRCS
Civil Engineer
Kylie Wong
Maui SWCDs
Conservation Specialist
Jason Hew
Maui SWCDs
Conservation Specialist
Breakfast with Bruce Petersen
Good Food, Great Conversation
The new NRCS Pacific Islands Area Director, Bruce Petersen visited
the Kahului Field Office to become more familiar with the agriculture
on Maui. On his short visit, the Maui SWCDs and NRCS Kahului
field office hosted a breakfast where the Directors were able to talk
story with Bruce and have a round table discussion about the
SWCD and NRCS partnership.
The Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts Welcome
Bruce Peterson, USDA-NRCS Pacific Islands Area Director
Buddy Nobriga, former West Maui SWCD Chairman/HACD President and Jay Nobriga, WMSWCD Chair greet Bruce Peterson
Mae Nakahata, Central Maui SWCD Director; Jason Peel, NRCS; Donna Hopwood, NRCS; and Warren Watanabe meet with Bruce Peterson, Buddy Nobriga, and Jay Nobriga to discuss the history of SWCDs and watershed projects.
Whenever you meet Buddy Nobri-ga, you‘re in for a treat of Rose-lani Ice Cream
(L-R) Maggie Kramp, Maui SWCDs; Buddy Nobriga, former West Maui
SWCD Chair/HACD President; Jason Peel, NRCS; Warren Watanabe, Maui
County Farm Bureau; Cindy Peterson; Mae Nakahata, Central Maui SWCD
Director; Bruce Peterson; NRCS PIA Director; Jay Nobriga; West Maui
SWCD Chairman; and Donna Hopwood, NRCS
Maui County Councilmember Gladys Baisa with Bruce Peterson, Donna Hopwood, and Jason Peel at Archie’s
Annual Conservation Awareness Program -
Land Judging Contest Helps Students to:
Understand basic soil differences.
Know how soil properties affect crop growth.
Know why soils respond differently to man-
agement practices.
Realize the influence of land features on
production and land protection.
Select suitable soil and water conservation
practices.
Determine land capability class.
Determine proper use and treatment. Students from Baldwin, Kamehameha, King Kekaulike, Maui, Seabury Hall, and St. Anthony High Schools testing their knowledge through competition
2014 Island of Maui Contest Winners - Top Individual Score
1st Place Michah Leval St. Anthony
2nd Place Brian Lavongtheung
4-H Dirt Devils
3rd Place Jesse Amaral Kamehameha
4th Place Kiarra Burkitt
4-H Dirt Devils
Mahalo for your participation in the 2014 Conservation Awareness Program—Maui Land Judging Contest
The contest would not have been possible without you and we truly appreciate it!
The Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts in Cooperation with the UH Cooperative Extension Service and USDA-NRCS
Baldwin High School Kamehameha School King Kekaulike Maui High St. Anthony Seabury 4-H Dirt Devils
Leo Tomita Duane Iwamura Andrew Wolski David Rostetter Joyce Lanigan Daryl Yamada
James Ino Art Fellazar
Maui Tropical Plantation
Mike Atherton
Glenn Fujimoto
Proctors
Norman Nagata
Kahana Stone . Kylie Wong
Doug MacCluer
Mel Hipolito . Kyle Onaga
Score Keepers
Robin Shimabuku
Lorraine Brooks . Cindy Reeves
Carl Hashimoto . Ryan Woolbright
Brian Hashiro . Patrick Ornellas
Edna Abe . Brett Fahnestock
Pamela Kantarova . Richard Sylva
Coordinators
Ranae Ganske-Cerizo
Maggie Kramp
Food and Beverage
Jay Nobriga and Buddy Nobriga
Nobriga Ranch
Maui Soda & Ice Works
Roselani Ice Cream
L-R: Kylie Wong, Maui SWCDs Conservation Specialist with 1st Place Team - Seabury Hall 4-H Dirt Devils Brian Lavongtheung, Kirra Burkitt, Kaitlyn Yamada, Corin Nishimoto, and West Maui SWCD Chairman Jay Nobriga
If you would like to make a donation towards the Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts’
education program and other conservation efforts, contact the Maui SWCDs at 808-871-5500 ext. 3
http://www.mauicountysoilandwater.org/
Pollinators
Pollinator types: Butterflies, flies, moths,
wasps, beetles, and bees. Bees are considered to be the
most important of the pollinators, partly due to the fact
that they are the only group to actively collect pollen
to feed their young.
Approximately 85% of flowering plants rely on an
animal pollinator (mostly insects) to reproduce.
35% of crop production worldwide either depends up-
on or benefits directly from pollination by insects. The
value of these crops is over $18 billion in the US, and
up to $217 billion worldwide.
Scientist estimate that every 1 in 3 mouthfuls of food
& drink we consume can be traced back to a pollinator.
Some crops are entirely dependent on pollinators to
produce a yield include: alfalfa ($7 billion/year), ber-
ries ($2.5 billion/year), apples ($1.5 billion/year), and
almonds ($1.1 billion/year).
Canola, soy beans, and cotton show an increased yield
when pollinators are present.
Canola growers in Canada can produce more yields
(which means more profit) if about 30% of their field
is left uncultivated for pollinators natural habitat. This
is due to a higher pollination rate which outweighs the
lesser amount of farmed acres in the long run.
Managed Honey bee hives are experiencing an annual
loss: from 1995-2006- 15%-22% loss of hive per year,
and from 2006-2011- 29%-36% loss of hive per year.
This can be mostly attributed to Colony Collapse Dis-
order (CCD).
Feral unmanaged honey bee colonies have declined by
70%-99% in most areas of the US.
In North America there are ≈ 4,000 species of wild
bees and worldwide there are at least 20,000 species of
wild bees.
Wild bees are critical for the pollination of crops val-
ued at ≈ $3 billion annually in the US (which may be
an underestimation) and $900 million-$2.4b billion
annually in the state of California.
Main causes of pollinator decline: Habitat destruction
associated with conversion of crop land/ natural areas
into urban land uses, use of pesticides without appro-
priate precaution, and diseases.
Pollinators not only increase the yields in crops, they
also help to stabilize the world’s ecosystems. A dollar
amount can be calculated for how beneficial pollina-
tors are in agriculture, but it is impossible to estimate
the worth of a healthy ecosystem.
Blueberry growers in Michigan produced a 12% in-
crease in yields in fields that were adjacent to wild-
flower plantings. Increased yields paid off the initial
cost of establishing wildflower plantings within the first 3-4 years.
Installing pollinator habitat can achieve multiple con-
servation goals such as soil and water quality, pesticide
protection, establishing a conservation buffer, weed
control, and wind and snow protection while directly
benefiting farmers.
ALEXANDER & BALDWIN,
INC.
ANDY FULLER
BILL and KAREN HANISCH BRIAN HASHIRO
CARVER WILSON, MAUI
FLORAL
CENTRAL MAUI SWCD
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLE
COCHRAN
DARON and DAWN
NISHIMOTO
DARYL and JOYCE
YAMADA
DOUG and MAGGIE
KRAMP
THE DUNES AT MAUI
LANI
DR. CHERYL AYABE
EAST and WEST KAUAI
SWCD
FAITH UMETSU
FEDERICK KUDO
HALEAKALA RANCH
HANA SWCD
HAWAIIAN COMMERCIAL & SUGAR COMPANY
JAMES INO
JAMES ROBELLO
KAANAPALI BEACH
HOTEL
JERRY PANG
KAANAPALI LAND
MANAGEMENT CORP.
KAHANA STONE
KAREN FUKUSHIMA
KIMO FALCONER, MAUI GROWN COFFEE
KIMO’S RESTAURANT
KONA SWCD
KONG ‘OHANA
L. TOMA LYNETTE VIELA
MAE NAKAHATA
MALEK ‘OHANA
MATTHEW HO
MAUI COUNTY FARM
BUREAU
MAUI OCEAN CENTER
MAUI ZIPLINE
MAUNA KEA SWCD
MICHAEL FERNANDES
MISTY FUKUSHIMA
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN
BY MERRIMAN
OLINDA-KULA SWCD
PAMELA UMETSU
PEILING LIN
R.A. MARTIN
RAELENE KLEEMAN
REED and DYAN ARIYOSHI
RIMFIRE IMPORTS
SANOE KANESHIRO
SEABURY HALL SHAUN T. WRIGHT DDS,
LLC
STEPHEN and DENISE
GIMA
TOKYO TEI RESTAURANT
VINEYARD FOOD CO. by
CATERING FROM SOUP
TO NUTS
WARREN WATANABE
WES NOHARA, PU’U KANE
FARMS WEST MAUI SWCD
Mahalo to the following people, SWCDs, and businesses for your
generous support for the Land Judging Contest. Your contribu-
tion made it possible for the 4-H Dirt Devils to represent Hawaii
at the National Land Judging Contest in Oklahoma
Benefit Dinner at
Vineyard Food Company
4-H Dirt Devils Advisor Dr. Daryl Yama-
da, Brian Lavongtheung, Kaitlyn Yamada,
Kiarra Burkitt, and Corin Nishimoto on
their way to Oklahoma with Maui Floral
flowers, Maui Grown Coffee, HC&S Sug-
ar, Maui County Farm Bureau T-Shirts,
and snacks from Mae Nakahata
2015 National Contest Results
4-H Dirt Devils placed 3rd overall
for homesite, Kaitlyn Yamada 5th
place Homesite Top Individual Score,
and Corin Nishimoto 10th place
Homesite Top Individual Score
Conservation Education
Aside from conservation planning, Conservation Specialists also participate in conservation education and outreach for the Districts. In preparation for the 2014 Maui County Conservation Awareness Contest, Kylie trained approximately 131 students from four Maui high schools. Trainings were adapted to suit each group of students by using both hands on and traditional teaching methods.
Outreach and Community Events
Over the last year, the Maui Conservation
Specialists also conducted outreach in the community.
Kylie gave a short talk at a Native Hawaiian Plant So-
ciety lecture to share information about the NRCS
Farm Bill programs and Conservation Technical Assis-
tance plans, which generated a lot of interest among
attendees who were unfamiliar. At the Maui Agricultur-
al Festival we shared a
table with our partner
agency, NRCS, to spread
awareness about the Dis-
tricts, and our conserva-
tion planning services.
Conservation Specialists are
also given opportunities to be
involved at community
events. Kylie volunteered at
the horticultural section of the
2014 Maui County Fair to
help with check-in, judging,
and clean up. Jason represented the SWCD’s at the
Upcountry/Central Maui Community Wildfire Protection
Plan meeting to discuss concerns surrounding wild-
fires and future goals for fire protection.
The Maui SWCDs have two full-time Conservation Specialists—Kylie Wong, hired in July 2014, and Jason Hew, hired in January 2015. As Conservation Specialists for Maui, they serve all four Districts and are responsible for Conservation Technical Assistance plans in our Districts.
Kylie Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, but grew up
visiting her family throughout Hawaii. After graduating from high school, Ky-
lie moved to Honolulu to attend UH Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture
and Human Resources. In her junior year,
Kylie participated in the UH STEM Fellowship
Program through which she was exposed to
conservation planning by working in the
NRCS Aiea Field Office. The culmination of
her internship with NRCS, specialization in
soil and water conservation, and newfound
interest in agriculture propelled Kylie to seek
a career within the NRCS and SWCD partnership. Shortly after receiving a
degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management Kylie accept-
ed her position as Conservation Specialist, and has since been learning
about Maui while helping to conserve natural resources.
Maui Conservation Specialists’ Update
Jason Hew was born and raised
on the island of Maui. He grew up on his
family ranch helping his father mend fenc-
es, brand cows, and pulling wattle trees for
a nickel per tree. Jason also was exposed
to farming by his gung gung (Chinese
grandfather) who grew mostly onions and
tomatoes on a small farm. As a youth he
experienced all that Maui had to offer, but
one thing that Maui couldn’t provide was a
winter climate. This led Jason to attended
Montana State University in Bozeman,
Montana where his love for the outdoors
matured. In Montana, Jason was an avid
snowboarder, loved to hike especially sum-
miting mountain peaks, and an all-around
outdoor enthusiast. Through spending
time in nature, he yearned to learn more of
the science behind what made this planet
so unique. Jason earned his degree in
Earth Sciences with a focus in Geology, and received a minor in
Geographic Information Systems (GIS). After spending almost a
decade away from home, he moved back to Maui with his newly
wed wife. Jason was very pleased to have to opportunity to work
with the Soil & Water Conservation Districts and is enjoying as-
sisting farmers, ranchers, and land owners to achieve their re-
source conservation goals.
Conservation Technical Assistance is provided at no cost by the Soil and
Water Conservation Districts under the supervision of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service and its technical resources and standards. This assistance is offered in the form of
a conservation plan, developed by working closely with a cooperator to reach their agricul-
tural objectives while addressing on site resource concerns relating to soil, water, air,
plants, animals, and humans. These resource concerns include:
To accomplish the resource conservation and agricultural objectives of a conserva-
tion plan, conservation practices are implemented to NRCS standards. Although the CTA
conservation plans do not provide financial assistance, they serve as a springboard for
those interested in receiving federal assistance through Farm Bill programs.
Five conservation plans have been written this year for cooperators who plan to
apply for the Farm Bill EQIP program in fiscal year 2016. These potential contracts amount
This pilot project, led by the West Maui SWCD, worked on two stretches of agricultural roads in Wahikuli and
Honokōwai watersheds that were identified as problem areas for sediment erosion leading to stress on coastal ecosys-
tems. Working with landowners and an engineer, specifications were created for where the construction contractors
should put water bars, and reestablish terraces. Improvements were made to 3.2 miles of road and have resulted in more
functional water diversion systems that will slow and divert run-off and sediment accumulated in rain fall events, preventing
it from continuing into the gulches and down to coastal waters where it stresses reefs. The capacity of two local contrac-
tors has been increased, and this pilot scale project has facilitated an understanding of the steps that will be required for
the larger-scale Phase II project.
Results: Improvements were made on 3.2 miles of erod-
ing agricultural road.
On Puka Camp Road, in the Department of Hawai-ian Homelands property, 1.7 miles of road improve-ments were made and ~6,000 linear feet of terraces were opened and modified from their traditional design to a reef-friendly design by preventing hy-
drologic connectivity to gulches.
1.5 miles of General Finance Road was improved by grading, and through the addition of water bars at specified intervals to allow the energy of water and accumulated sediment to dissipate into the fields.
Management Outcomes
1. Capacity of local contractors to install and maintain
earthen road BMPS was increased
2. Project steps were piloted to inform larger scale effort to follow funded by EPA/DOH which will be able to address the majority of eroding earthen
roads in Wahikuli and Honokowai.
Photo: Wes Nohara, WMSWCD Associate Director and Morris Haole, Council Member Bob Carroll’s Executive Assistant at Ag Road Project site.
Lahaina Watershed Project
First proposed to NRCS by the West Maui SWCD in 1981, the Lahaina Watershed Project was given the highest priority because of its impact on public safety, property and livelihood protection, and environmental benefits. Since 1879, 26 major floods hit Lahaina—averaging one flood event every 5 years. The largest occurred in 1960, when 21.7 inches of rain fell in the Kahoma Watershed, in one day—causing floodwaters to overtop Front Street and Honoapiilani Highway and produced an estimated $320,000 in flood damages—roughly $4 million in today’s dollars. Given the level of develop-ment since 1960, a similar storm in 2015 would likely cause damages in the range of $10 million to $15 million. In order to provide full protection of Lahaina, we are seeking $22.6 million to complete the two remaining phases of the Lahaina
Photos: Field inspection of Phase 3A—included inspection of the Conspan units by Alex Niwa of Aecom, Ranae Ganske-Cerizo of NRCS, and Bill Curtis of Maui Master Builders.
Agriculture Awareness Day at the Capitol
Sponsored by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
Maggie Kramp, Maui SWCDs; Representative Ryan Yamane,
WAL Chair; Ian Cabatingan, HC&S; and Warren Watanabe,
Maui County Farm Bureau
Representative Calvin Say, Central Maui SWCD Director—
HC&S Ag Research and Crop Control Director Mae Nakahata,
and Representative Justin Woodson
Upcountry Maui Waterline Project
To address Maui’s growing population and increasing demand for water, this project was proposed to NRCS by the Olinda-Kula SWCD in 1982. Upcountry Maui farmers currently use domestic drinking water for their operations and pay one of the highest rates for agricultural water in the nation ($1.19 per thousand gallons). During times of drought, Upcountry farmers are asked to reduce their water usage, which has caused crop losses and lowered yields. As Maui’s population and demand for water increases, the importance of this project becomes more evident for the Upcountry agricultural community and to all residents. To complete this ongo-ing project, the SWCDs are seeking $8.5 million in Federal funds for planning and construction of a critical section of this waterline.
The Olinda-Kula SWCD held a field trip to the Up-
country Maui Waterline Project to show Washington, D.C. lob-
byist, Marie Blanco, this unfinished project to educate her
about the difficulties associated with completing this waterline.
The Olinda-Kula SWCD board, SWCD staff, DLNR, NRCS,
Department of Agriculture, and the Maui County Farm Bureau
attended this field trip. This group of organizations represents
the partnerships necessary to undertake a project of this mag-
nitude.
Since the inception of this project, many challeng-
es have been encountered including pipeline construction
in rugged terrain, difficult access to construction sites, and
difficulties obtaining easements and County right-of-ways.
Additionally, obtaining funding for the Upcountry Maui Wa-
terline Project has been a difficult task. We are hopeful
that Marie Blanco will be able to lobby for this project to
support Maui’s agriculture.
Project Sections
Federal Funds State Funds Status
Phases 1-5 $6.0 million $6.0 million Completed
Phases 6-7 $3.8 million $8.9 million 2015-2017
Planning $1.15 million - Not Funded
Construction $7.35 million $7.35 million Not Funded
Project map
Tour group viewing rugged terrain of Hapapa Gulch
Curtis Power discusses project phases with Sharon Sawdey, Clark
Hashimoto, Garret Hew, Marie Blanco, and Ranae Ganske-Cerizo
NACD Conference and Washington, D.C.
Wes Nohara
(WMSWCD)
and Mae
Nakahata
(CMSWCD)
attended the
National Asso-
ciation of Con-
servation Districts Conference in New Orleans, Louisi-
ana this past February. As representatives of the Hawaii
Association of Conservation Districts, they attended
workshops about the various NACD resources and other
state conservation district projects and services currently
being implemented. Wes and Mae also met with SWCD
representatives from the Pacific Islands Area to share
regional concerns, and met with NRCS Directors Bruce
Petersen and Craig Dickerson.
While there, it was announced that President
Obama’s budget allotted $200 million to watershed pro-
jects that impact climate change. However, this failed to
include unfinished projects, such as the Upcountry Maui
Waterline and Lahaina Flood Control Projects.
From New Orleans, Mae made her way to Washing-
ton D.C., to meet with Hawaii’s congressional leaders.
The next challenge for our legislative representatives is
to work to include Hawaii’s unfinished watershed pro-
jects in the President’s budget. Congresswoman Mazie
Hirono has requested an amendment to include unfin-
ished projects.
West Maui SWCD Field Trip Maui County officials were invited to join the West Maui SWCD on a field trip to tour their completed and in-progress projects. The purpose of this tour was to raise awareness of what the West Maui SWCD does and explain the
significance of their projects to conservation and the surrounding communities.
Participants included representatives from the Maui County Council, the Mayor’s Office, the County Department of Public Works, the Bureau of Land and Natural Resources, Tri-Isle RC&D, the West Maui Ridge 2 Reef Initiative, NRCS, and Maui SWCDs board members and staff. Past and current challenges with funding, construction, and maintenance
were discussed while highlighting the benefits and significance of each project for the West Maui community.
The West Maui SWCD projects shown were:
Thank you to all who joined the West Maui SWCD on this field trip. A similar tour is planned for State of Hawaii officials to
see West Maui’s projects, as it is important to share achievements, challenges, and goals with our governmental partners.