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Vol. 2, Issue 3
Bringing You The News Behind The News in Maui County

Feb. 1 – Feb. 14, 2006

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9th Life Hawai‘i
Adopt, volunteer or donate today.

www.9thlifehawaii.org


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.

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