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Kihei DMVL Office
Relocating
The
Kihei office of the Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing will
relocate to new facilities at the Kihei Community Center.
The Azeka office will remain open through Tuesday, January 31.
Wednesday, February 1 through Friday, Feb 3, the office will be
closed for relocation of office equipment, set-up and testing.
The new Kihei Community Center DMVL facility will be open for
business on Monday February 6 with a grand opening celebration
set for Tuesday, February 7.
The new Kihei Community Center DMVL will be open four days each
week, 8-10:45 a.m. and noon to 3:30 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Road
tests are also available four days a week and are available by
appointment. Call 270-8080.
For further information contact the DMVL Service Center at 270-7363.
BAC Expands Services To Maui
HONOLULU
- The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' (DCCA) Business
Action Center (BAC) is expanding its services to assist Maui's
business community.
Every Wednesday, beginning February 1, BAC will offer the same
services it offers on Oahu, including assistance with applying
for a general excise tax license; registering a new business;
registering as an employer with the Department of Labor and
Industrial Relations; and obtaining a federal employer identification
number.
"We are pleased with the opportunity to finally meet our
Maui customers face-to-face and provide the same level of assistance
that we offer on Oahu," said BAC Manager Jayna Uyehara.
"We're also proud to be partnering with the County of Maui's
Maui County Business Resource Center, which is equally dedicated
to serving the small business community."
Maui Business Action Center services will be available every
Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Maui County Business
Resource Center (MCBRC) in the Maui Mall, 70 E. Kaahumanu Avenue,
Unit B-9 Kahului, Hawaii 96732. For more info, please call 808-873-8247,
fax to 808-871-9160 or e-mail: bac@dcca.hawaii.gov
|
17 Nene Released In
Haleakala Crater
Park
officials hope additional birds will boost endangered species'
population.
HNP
Staff
Haleakala
National Park has some new additions – 17 healthy, happy
nene.
The captive-bred nene (Hawaiian Goose), which were released into
the Paliku area of the park, were hatched and reared at the Maui
Bird Conservation Center, an endangered species captive propagation
facility located in Olinda.
The birds were driven from Olinda up to Hosmer Grove, and then
transported to Paliku via helicopter.
National Park biologist Cathleen Bailey says that the release
of the 17 nene is the first time in almost 30 years a relatively
large number of the endangered birds have been released at one
time.
The release is a result of a cooperative effort between the National
Park Service, State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the Maui
Bird Conservation Center and the Friends of Haleakala National
Park. Friends of Haleakala National Park, Inc.’s Adopt-a-Nene
program paid for the helicopter, which was provided by Windward
Aviation.
| Photo:
Haleakala National Park
|
| Biologist
John Medeiros releasing nene at Paliku in 1992. |
“This
is what the Adopt-a- Nene program is for,” said the organization’s
vice president Mary Evanson. “[It’s] to help support
the wildlife management program in the park. One of our first
meetings of FHNP set up this fund and it has been great success.
We are very pleased.”
Nene were once extirpated (locally extinct) from the island of
Maui. The
State began nene recovery efforts on Maui in 1962, when Boy Scouts
transported boxes filled with thirty-five nene from Haleakala
summit to Paliku, where the birds were released.
From 1962 to 1977 about 500 birds were released into Haleakala
Crater.
“Biologists stopped releasing large numbers of birds in
Haleakala to see if the birds could maintain a population on their
own,” said Bailey.
Several smaller releases of birds have occurred since 1977. The
last release was in
2002, when four nene where flown into the Paliku area.
According to Bailey, the current Haleakala nene population is
hanging on by a thread, with an estimated 250 nene accounted for.
And their numbers are not increasing.
Biologists discovered that while adult nene thrive at Haleakala,
young goslings have a difficult time surviving due to limited
food resources. Biologists are hoping the 17 nene will become
part of the breeding population and help bolster the Haleakala
nene population.
Park superintendent Marilyn H. Parris hails the release as “a
great success story.” However, the success of the nene also
depends on public awareness.
| Photo:
Haleakala National Park
|
| An
adult nene protects her young as the forage in
the Park. |
“The
public can be apart of protecting nene as well,” said Parris.
National Park officials are asking the public to respect the Park’s
fragile environment by staying on park trails and keeping distance
from nesting nene, especially goslings. This is for the public’s
protection as well, being the large birds are aggressive in protecting
their young. Off-trail traffic may disturb nesting females and
separate young nene from their parents. If the young nene are
disturbed, they may not survive.
Biologists are also asking park visitors, residents, and workers
to drive slowly and use caution while on park roads. Nene are
commonly seen on the road, within the park and a few miles outside
the park.
Another way the public can help protect nene is to not feed them.
Some nene have learned to approach moving vehicles, expecting
food handouts from humans. This habit has resulted in nene been
hit and killed by cars.
Though it is tempting to feed them, nene must feed on their own
in the wild. This teaches young nene, by example, the skills they
need to survive.
For more information about nene, or the Adopt-A-Nene program,
please contact
Haleakala National Park at 572-4400, the State Division of Forestry
and
Wildlife 984-8400 and on the Web at www.dofaw.net,
or the Friends of Haleakala National Park, Inc. through www.fhnp.org.
Notice of Proposed Water Pollution
Control Permit for Haleakala National Park
The department
of Health (DOH), tentatively proposes to issue a National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit to discharge storm
water run-off from the Haleakala National Park Kipahulu comfort
station, and rehab of Visitor Use Facilities project to receiving
State waters, subject to special conditions, to Haleakala National
Park– Kipahulu Visitors Center and Campground.
The proposed draft permit will expire midnight December 31,
2010.
The proposed project involves the construction of a new Visitor’s
Comfort Station and the rehabilitation of the existing Visitor
Use Facilities (campground). The scope of work includes constructing
a new asphalt parking lot and walkway system at the Comfort
Station site, along with the installation of a new water line
and wastewater treatment system. At the campground site, construction
will include the installation of new drainage culverts, rehabilitating
the existing gravel road, and installation of new vault toilets.
Storm water run-off associated with construction activities
from the
project is permitted to discharge to the receiving State waters
after
implementation of “Best Management Practices.” The
discharge may enter Kukui Bat through the following outfalls
and coordinates:
Outfall
Serial Number Latitude Longitude
001 20deg 39’30”N 156deg 02’30”W
002 20deg 39’40”N 156deg 02’20”W
The receiving
water is classified by the DOH as Class AA, Marine Water. The
objective of Class AA water is to remain in their natural pristine
state as nearly as possible with an absolute minimum of pollution
or alteration of water quality from any human-caused sources
or actions. To the extent practicable, the wilderness character
of these areas shall be protected.
Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed NPDES
permit or to request a public hearing, should submit their comments
or requests in writing no later than 30 days after the date
of this notice, either in person or by mail to:
Office address:
Clean Water Branch
Environmental Management Division
State Department of Health
919 Ala Moana Boulevard
Room 301
Honolulu, HI 96814-4920
Mailing
Address:
Clean Water Branch
Environmental Management Division
State Department of Health
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801-3378
Copies of
the proposed draft permit, and other information are available
for public inspection, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays)
from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. at the DOH offices address shown
above or at our Maui Environmental Health Program Office, located
at 54 High Street, room 300, Wailuku, HI 96793. Copies may also
be bought.
To acees the draft permit and rationale on the Internet, click
here.
All requests please refer to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Permit No. HI S000071 (formerly HI 0021826) 06-CW-PW-#06.
For more information or if you require special assistance due
to a disability that will aid you in inspecting and/or commenting
on the draft permit and related information, please contact
Mr. Alec Wong, supervisor of Engineering Section, Clean Water
Branch, at the above address or 808-586-4309 (voice) at least
seven (7) days before the deadline. For those who use a TTY/TDD,
please call through Verizon-Hawaii Telephone Relay Service at
1-711 or 808-643-8822.
All comments and requests received on time will be considered.
If DOH determines that there is a significant public interest,
a public hearing may be held after at least 30 days of public
notice.
If DOH’s position is substantially unchanged after considering
all timely written comments and all oral comments at any public
hearing that may be held, then the DOH will issue the NPDES
permit and this action will be final.
Please notify anyone you know who would be interested in this
matter.
|