Website: malamaopuna.org 

Road Access for Farmer East of Nanawale & Access on Upper Road from Pohoiki

The 2018 lava flow covered approximately one mile of a private driveway connecting Highway 132 to nearly 1,000 acres of non-inundated farmland. This farmland was previously used for papaya while the rest of the acreage is in organic agriculture. Lava also covered a roadway known as Upper Road that connected on the mauka side of upper Pohoiki Road to multiple properties used for organic agriculture and farm residences. Malama O Puna fiscally sponsored two grants from Hawaii County Research & Development using approximately $72,000 of $170,000 donated to the County by private companies including Puna Geothermal Ventures. In both instances the prior access was blocked by lava but the properties were largely intact allowing owners to return to their homes and farmers to begin planting again.

Revitalize Kapoho

Working with the Vacationland board and evacuees from Lower Kapoho, Malama O Puna received Council Contingency Funds from District 4 to conduct a project entitled “Revitalize Kapoho”.  When originally conceived in January 2020, the group envisioned having an event at Maku’u Farmers Market featuring Hawaiian music that would serve as a public education event on recovery plans from the 2018 volcanic event.  The COVID 19 pandemic intervened and by Fall of 2020 it was clear a large gathering was out of the question. The project morphed to a digital format and resulted in developing a script for a short video describing recovery efforts already taking place, as well as ones planned and funded in the area between Leilani Estates, Kapoho and Pohoiki.  Ten local residents were interviewed including a scientist from Hawai'i Volcano Observatory, prior residents of Vacationland and Green Mountain, fishers from Pohoiki, farmers in mid Kapoho, and kupuna who offered guidance in recovery from the perspective of our host culture. Appearing in the short documentary will be clips from interviews with Michael Zoeller, Debra Smith, Smiley Burrows, Pi’ilani Ka’awaloa, Elizabeth and Joe Jr. Kekidi, Eileen O’Hara, Leila Kealoha, Daniel Kealoha and Ku’ulei Kealoha Cooper-Springer. Hawaiian musician Stan Combis, former Kapoho resident, composed an instrumental piece for the production. Dane Dupont is assisting in the filming and production. This video will be released soon and available at the following social media and web sites: Hawaii Tracker, Malama O Puna, Vacationland Hawaii Community Association. A copy will also be provided to the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum.

Leilani Estates Road Recovery Project

Malama O Puna, provides environmental education and community capacity building and is the financial host (501c3 nonprofit) for efforts by Leilani Community Association (LCA) to recover private roads lost to lava in 2018. The first two parts of the project consist of filling cracks, potholes and resurfacing on affected streets. Okahara Associates provided engineering work and bids are expected by mid June 2021.  The third part of the project is to recover approximately 600’ of Kahukai Street from its former intersection with Leilani Blvd; a County road.  There are more than 14 parcels that weren’t inundated but are landlocked due to the inability to access from Kahukai Street. Recovery of this stretch would allow people to return to their properties. The timeline isn’t firm. The County must decide whether permits can be provided for this road work given some faulty filings on road ownership that occurred over 30 years ago. Further, only $375,000 was made available for this project under the Kilauea Recovery Grant Program, although $500,000 was requested and the total project was estimated at $558,000.  Bids are likely to be high due to rising costs of asphalt and construction uncertainties.  Also, work on Kahukai Street cannot commence until the bottom 600’ of Leilani Blvd is recovered which is part of the County’s FEMA-funded road recovery of upper Poho’iki Road slated to begin in late 2021. Malama O Puna is committed to working with the LCA to complete this project even if it means applying to a second round of the Kilauea Recovery Grant Program.  Only $3.7M was awarded on the first round and the monies came through a $20M grant from the State Legislature. These funds must be spent in the affected area and the program rules allow for use on private infrastructure recovery.

Food Security Program Projects funded by a Puna Strong Grant

Under the Malama O Puna (MOP) Food Security and Sustainability Program, a Puna Strong Grant was awarded for five separate projects which are described below.

• MOP’s Urban Garden and Permaculture Model 

MOP is in the process of establishing an Urban/Permaculture demonstration garden on the property that houses its Environmental Resource Center at 15-2881 Pahoa Village Road in downtown Pahoa. The first of its public garden tours was held May 30, 2021 with over 40 people attending who received free plants and starts.

• Provision of Seeds/Starts for Community along with Seed/Produce Exchanges 

MOP identified that many backyard gardeners struggle to obtain starts and seeds that will grow well in our environment and will be raising starts and offering seed/produce exchanges from its facility in downtown Pahoa. Look for more information on this project as it gets underway!

• Nanawale BackYard Gardening Project

MOP and the Nanawale Community Association will launch a backyard gardening program that targets residents of this low-moderate income community.  Luana Jones had been instrumental in developing this project which will roll out shortly.

• Community Fruit Orchard

MOP and the Hawaiian Shores Community Association will plant a community fruit orchard on 30,000 square feet in a fenced, but unused, 3.8-acre private park that has distributed well water. Food grown will be shared with community members and excess given to the Food Basket.

• Encourage Livestock Production

MOP with the Hawaii Sheep & Goat Association (HSGA) will integrate livestock production into its Food Security Program by offering virtual or in-person workshops on how to manage small herds of goats and sheep, and the ins and outs of butchering and cooking the meat. It is hoped synergies will develop with the lava recovery farming project conducted by the Grassroots Church taking place on a 13-acre parcel in Pahoa along the By-Pass.