JUDY HOWARD – Page 5 – Living in Waimea, Hawaii

Humpback Research in Hawaii

Posted on November 9, 2018April 4, 2019 by JUDY HOWARD

No, this is not a humpback and has nothing to do with humpback research in Hawaii. I was just looking for a picture to post, and remembered I took this for my daughter a few months back. This elderly ewe was named Panda, and she lived to be about 13 because my daughter absolutely insisted that I take her to the vet when we spotted her as a newborn, wriggling on the grass in the pasture, abandoned by her mother. She was one of a pair, and definitely got the short end of the stick. She was less than half her brother’s size, and hideously misshapen because he had taken so much room in the womb! The vet didn’t think much of her chances, but we brought her in and my daughter bottle fed her, and she lived to a ripe old age! I love bottle fed lambs, and the sheep they become, because they are as friendly as dogs. As with all sheep that I’ve ever been around, they have a very calming influence on me. For that reason alone, they are worth the effort it takes to keep them healthy!

The humpbacks have left for the 2018/2019 season.

There were far fewer of them this year, and no one yet knows why. I hope that the humpback research in Hawaii will help to solve this mystery. I did not get a chance to get out on the water to listen to their songs, but I’ve done so in the past and know that it is a peak experience. For whatever reason, listening to recordings does not compare. Perhaps it is the fact that I’m not sitting quietly in a canoe of kindred souls, in what has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, but I think it is more than that. I don’t think the recordings capture the sound as faithfully as I would like. Here’s a link to the Jupiter Research Foundation archive of humpback songs recorded off of Pauko: http://jupiterfoundation.org/whale-song-archive-hawaii

The Jupiter Research Foundation is a non-profit organization that is devoted to helping the humpbacks, and is seeking to build a center in Kawaihae harbor.

The organization has been in existence for quite a while, and actually live-streams whale songs from the Pauko Bay Area from mid-January till mid-March. They also have a webcam that provides views of the waters of Pauko Bay and parts of the Alenuihaha Channel. It is only operational during whale season, but it’s a great resource during that time period: http://jupiterfoundation.org/webcam. They have looked at many alternatives to increase their research facilities, and have identified Kawaihae Harbor as the most promising. Here’s a newspaper article about them: https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2019/03/26/hawaii-news/marine-research-center-proposed-for-kawaihae-harbor/

The article does not say whether the proposed center will be open to the public, but the environmental assessment does. There will be no visitors’ center, but escorted school field trips may be permitted.

If you are really interested, the Environment Assessment produced as part of their attempt to build a facility at Kawaihae is an excellent read!

It is really well-written, gives an excellent overview of the history of the area and another marine research facility that will some day be built in Pauko, and describes some of the truly amazing inventions The Jupiter Foundation has already designed and implemented that have helped in the study of Humpbacks. Here’s a link: http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/EA_EIS_Library/2019-03-23-HA-DEA-Marine-Science-Center-at-Kawaihae-Harbor.pdf

Snow in Hawaii?

Posted on October 19, 2018December 15, 2020 by JUDY HOWARD

Snow in Hawaii? Yes! First snow of the season on Mauna Kea

Do we get snow in Hawaii? You bet! https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/hawaii-snow.html I can’t be absolutely certain, because there may have been times when the mountain has been completely socked in and might have had snow on it, but I’m going to call this the first snow of the season. Usually when we have snow on the mountain the temperatures down at the 2500 ft elevation, where I live, are a little cooler. For whatever reason, I haven’t noticed a drop in temperature this morning.

You can barely see the observatories surrounded by snow in the picture, because the mountain is quite far away and I’m using my iPhone to take pictures. Today is Friday, and I don’t believe there are any winter storm warnings for the mountain, so this weekend some people may go up to the observatories with their pickups and load up with snow for the neighborhood kids to play in. If so, there will be pickups in town leaking melting snow. It melts quickly, but it is a fun way to celebrate the season.

Tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, and other citrus grow well in Waimea-don’t plant too many.

As Christmas approaches it will be difficult to give tangerines away, because so many people have at least one tree, and most trees will be full of fruit, but they are delicious! One of the mistakes newcomers make is to go a little wild on planting citrus fruit trees. The yields tend to be very high after the first few years, and it is easy to end up with far more fruit that you can figure out what to do with. North Hawaii Community Hospital cafeteria may still accept donations of fruit, and the Thursday Community Dinner at St. James would probably also be happy to receive some. Another option can be to befriend someone with a booth at one of the farmers markets and ask them to sell or give fruit away. Finally, when all else fails, freeze the juice for the long stretch when the trees will not be bearing!

If the tangerines are getting close to ripe, so are the oranges. Our local oranges look awful, if you’re used to sprayed, uniform looking fruit, but they are far superior to the oranges we import. They are sweet and juicy, with thin skins. A great way to eat them is to slice them, then pack them in ice and take them to the beach with you. They will be a cold, thirst-quenching treat!

Lemons and limes tend to bear year round. Meyer lemons do very well here, and are, again, far superior to the awful little imported ones usually offered at the grocery stores. There are many types of limes that do well, although I have not had great luck with lime trees. There are numerous other citrus varieties that grow very well here, but I have not tried to grow them. There are so many microclimates here, and sometimes it takes a little trial and error to figure out what works!

Citrus fruit marks our winter season, as does snow on Mauna Kea

Our seasons may not be very pronounced, but once you’ve lived here a while, you notice and enjoy the changes!

Hawaii County land use restrictions for agriculturally zoned land.

Posted on October 12, 2018December 15, 2020 by JUDY HOWARD

It is beautiful, but it is not for everyone!

Hawaii County is a place of great beauty and vast open spaces. But it is also a place where the goals of food self-sufficiency and diversified and sustainable economic growth are taken seriously. At the moment, the County is heavily dependent on tourism, which leaves us in a precarious position when visitor numbers drop for any reason. We also import an appalling percentage of our food, which leaves us vulnerable to vagaries of labor strikes and natural disasters.

Land zoned for agricultural use, Hawaii County. — Hawaii County and the State restrict use of agriculturally zoned lands

Agricultural lands receive favorable tax treatment.

First and foremost, the property taxes on land in agriculture are much lower than those on land used for residential purposes. The actual rate is higher for some agricultural land than it is for some residential land, but the assessed values to which those rates are applied results in significantly lower taxes. Grazing land, in particular, is assessed at about $10,000/acre for non-dedicated land, and is currently taxed at $9.35/$1000. Homeowner rates are currently $6.15/$1000 of assessed value, but the land and improvements are assessed at market value. Also, those low homeowner rates apply only to primary residences, not to second homes or homes held for income or investment. Rates are available here: http://www.hawaiipropertytax.com/tax_rates.html

So what constitutes an agricultural use, and where is County land use policy headed?

You can access a handy chart showing the permissible uses of land zoned in various ways here: http://www.hiplanningdept.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Permitted-Uses-Table-091917.pdf

Some of the uses listed in the chart don’t do much to increase food production. There is obvious value in keeping land in agricultural use, in the sense that it is much easier to later convert open land to food production than it is to restore land that has been used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes so that it can be safely used for such production. But given the growing emphasis the State is placing on a diversified economy and food self-sufficiency, it is reasonable to expect increasing restrictions on use of agriculturally productive land for purposes other than food production and commercial agriculture. The days during which a developer could easily purchase a pasture, get it rezoned and subdivided, and build and sell houses, are gone.

Current restrictions on use of agriculturally zoned land.

Even now, the number of dwellings, and the type of occupants of dwellings, are restricted on some agricultural lands. Some lands are governed by the State Land Use Commission, and lands classified as less productive are subject to County regulation. This is a huge topic, and while I could post links to every source that would need to be consulted in order to make a determination as to the governing body and restrictions on a given parcel, I instead advise anyone considering a purchase of agriculturally zoned land in Hawaii County to consult with the Hawaii County Planning Department. Have the TMK of the parcel you are considering, and a planner should be able to outline for you all of the permitted and prohibited uses for that land. See also http://livinginwaimea.com/2019/03/29/kohala-ranch-property-taxes/

Don’t plan on paying for your agricultural land purchase by selling agricultural goods!

If you want to make a profit on agriculture in Hawaii, your options are even more limited. Some crops do reasonably well in some years, but given the cost of land, it is very difficult to thrive as a farmer or rancher in Hawaii, year in and year out. Nonetheless, there are quite a few ranchers and farmers here. Why? Because even though it is very hard work, it is also endlessly interesting and occasionally very rewarding!

The Kona Ironman 2018 is next weekend-beware of cyclists!

Posted on October 5, 2018April 5, 2019 by JUDY HOWARD

The Kona Ironman 2018 is coming soon. https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2018-ironman-world-championship This is a huge event on the west side of the Big Island. Already, with the race in 8 days, the number of new faces and rental cars in Waimea is appreciable.

The Ironman relies heavily on volunteers, and lots of people from our area get involved. In fact, if you’re on the Island, you’re likely to be involved no matter how hard to try to avoid it.

There are more drivers who are not familiar with the area or our local driving habits, there are cyclists in places you don’t see them the rest of the year, and many restaurants, as well as farmers markets, will be especially busy.

There’s a happy bustle in the air. This is a group of focused, highly competitive individuals, along with the families who have supported their considerable efforts to qualify for the race, They are sometimes more aggressive and less accomodating than the local people, and feathers can get ruffled. This is especially true when it comes to sharing the roads.

Our roads are not designed to accommodate cyclists, which is a crying shame. Poor planning and a failure to allocate our resources to promoting what is so obviously a great match with our local climate have led to dangerous conditions for cyclists and flairing tempers for motorists.

Cyclists who come from more cyclist-friendly communities, and are more focused on their times than their surroundings, can be oblivious to the interference they are creating for commuters who just want to get to work, or get home. I hope and believe the Ironman organizers spend a fair amount of time counseling competitors to be aware of conditions on the roads they use, but accidents still happen all too frequently.

Unless you’re employed in a trade related to tourism, or particularly keen on endurance sports, the Ironman can seem like more of a curse than a blessing. While it would be lovely if all competitors and their families were to approach their time on the Island as if they were respectful guests, many will not. So it’s up to the locals to put up with the horde of invaders with every bit of grace we can muster. They are a happy, if oblivious lot, and they will be gone soon after the Kona Ironman 2018 race ends on October 13!

Tropical Storm Olivia

Posted on September 11, 2018April 5, 2019 by JUDY HOWARD

Tropical Storm Olivia approaches

Tropical Storm Olivia is approaching. We have drizzles from time to time, and sun every once in a while. We have almost no wind, and it’s not particularly hot or muggy. We did have a small earthquake a while ago. I do not like it when I must chose between going outside because of any earthquake and staying inside because of high winds or lightening!

The pasture animals are staying close to shelter

All of the animals have chosen to stay under cover this morning. I will have to keep a close eye on the sheep, since if they decide to leave their shed

they can easily get stranded if the water rises quickly. That can result in horrible health problems, including fly strike, so I may need to use my trusty dog, and his not so trusty side-kick, to bring them in if the streams start to rise.

Even if the winds do not rise, flooding can make life miserable

We have been threatened by hurricanes often, and have yet to be badly affected by one. Some believe that the modeling used by the forecasters does not do a good job of accounting for the effect of our huge mountains. https://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/ For whatever reason, storms tend to veer away or lose strength as the approach. But even without strong winds, flooding can make life miserable, and I am taking Tropical Storm Olivia seriously.

Low lying areas will flood, and trees will come down even without high winds if the soil becomes too soggy. The power may go out-although that’s just an excuse to eat up the ice cream in the freezer! Kids will get antsy if they must stay home and indoors, and pets will track in water and worse if allowed outdoors.

We are lucky, though, that we live on an Island!

The rain water will flow out to sea fairly quickly, the sun will come out and within days of tropical storm Olivia’s arrival, there will be little to remind us of her!