ALERTNotice of Public Fact Gathering Meeting onEast Maui Stream Restoration PetitionsPLEASE SUPPORT EAST MAUI TARO FARMERS!Date: April 10, 2008 (Thursday)Time: 5 PM to 9 PMPlace: Haiku Community CenterThe Commission on Water Resources Management is convening a Community Fact Gathering meeting in connection with petitions to restore flow to 27 East Maui streams filed by Na Moku Aupuni O Ko`olau Hui, Beatrice Kekahuna, and Marjorie Wallett.Following 7 years of delay in acting on petitions to restore stream flow to 27 East Maui Streams, the Commission is asking the public to provide "testimony and additional information," which it can add to its set of Instream Flow Standard Assessment Reports for 5 hydrologic units covering only the following eight (8) streams: Honopou, Hanehoi, Puolua, Pi`ina`au, Palauhulu, Waiokamilo, Wailuanui, and Kulani. The governing statute does NOT require this meeting.Taro farmers have endured great hardships growing taro without enough water. `O`opu, `opae, hihiwai and other foods once gathered by families from the streams have disappeared because there is no water. Massive diversions by Alexander and Baldwin and East Maui Irrigation (A&B/EMI) have taken all the water out of East Maui streams.Talking points:1. A&B has never had to prove what water it diverts is actually needed. The law says the one who takes the water is supposed to prove that what they need does not harm the stream or the small taro farmer.a. A&B uses 17,000 gallons per day per acre in the wet season and 34,000 gpd per acre in the dry season.b. A&B diverts an average of 160 million gallons per day (MGD), about as much as all of O`ahu consumes.2. Native Hawaiians are beneficiaries of the ceded lands trust. Why do its beneficiaries suffer while big companies benefit from a public trust resource?a. The State of Hawai`i allows A&B to divert over 75% of this water from state ceded lands.b. A&B pays only 1/5 of 1 cent per 1,000 gallons for East Maui water, while most farmers pay over 35 cents per 1000 gallons for irrigation water.3. CWRM has had the scientific data, contained in U.S. Geological Survey studies, for the past three years. Why can't CWRM act immediately to restore East Maui streams? CWRM can restore the streams NOW.4. By law, CWRM is required to act within 180 days of receiving a petition. It's been 7 years since taro farmers filed their petitions. CWRM should act on the petitions NOW.If you have any comments regarding the need to protect these streams, please prepare to testify in support of restoring these streams for East Maui taro farmers and subsistence gatherers.Attend a preparatory meeting just prior to the April 10 event at 3:30 PM if you want more information about helping the East Maui farmers and cultural practitioners outside the Haiku Community CenterAlan T. Murakami, Esq.Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation1164 Bishop StreetSuite 1205Honolulu, HI 96813Tel: 808-521-2302Fax: 808-537-4268
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The Honolulu Advertiser
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
TARO BILL
House kills taro research bill
By Derrick DePledge and Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Government Writers
Less than a week after apparently agreeing to a
compromise, the state House yesterday voted to
kill a bill that would have created a five-year
moratorium on experiments with genetically
modified Hawaiian taro.
The bill was an attempt at compromise after the
state Senate backed a 10-year moratorium last
session and it would have allowed research to
continue on other varieties of taro. But several
farmers said after the state House Agriculture
Committee passed the bill last Thursday that they
wanted the longer moratorium or a permanent ban.
Some farmers of Hawaiian taro fear genetically
modified varieties could cross-pollinate with
Hawaiian taro and change its purity.
"I think in the best interest of all, we decided
to recommit (the bill). But that means those who
really wanted a moratorium, there is no
moratorium right now," said state Rep. Clifton
Tsuji, D-3rd (S. Hilo, Puna, Kea'au), the
chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
The vote to send the taro bill back to committee
was among dozens taken yesterday as the House and
Senate positioned legislation for second
crossover between the two chambers tomorrow. Many
of the bills will then go to House and Senate
conference committees for negotiations before
final votes at the end of the session.