KIRC continues to make progress in greening of former Target Island. “We need to put the ‘culture’ back into agriculture.”The Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) met on Tuesday, April 29, at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku to review its Strategic Plan for 2009–13. In addition to the five-year Strategic Plan, the commission presented its budget proposal for the 2009 fiscal year and discussed recent transitions in management and staff.
Community members and KIRC staff listened intently as the commission outlined its objectives for breathing new life into the beleaguered island. For many, the island of Kaho‘olawe is shrouded in mystery. Despite its close proximity to Maui, there are very few who have stepped foot on its soil. For generations, the island has been regarded as a sacred place, blessed by Kanaloa, the Hawaiian ocean deity. Today, Kaho‘olawe remains a sacred, spiritual land and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its cultural and historical importance.
As a U.S. Department of Defense testing site, Kaho‘olawe was subjected to a barrage of ordnance explosions and live-fire training for several decades. Since its official return to the State of Hawai‘i on Nov. 12, 2003, there has been an ongoing effort to restore the barren island of its natural resources and cultural heritage. Although the U.S. Navy attempted to remove unexploded ordnance and scrap metal from the island, land surveys indicate that much of it remains buried or resting on the surface. As a result, there is limited access to Kaho‘olawe; trips to the island require escort and strict attention to areas containing unexploded ordnance.
The State Legislature established the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve in 1993, designating the island and its surrounding waters for Native Hawaiian cultural, educational and environmental purposes. The State Legislature subsequently created the KIRC within the State Department of Land and Natural Resources to oversee the rebirth of the island while it is held in trust for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity. Since its official transfer to the State of Hawai‘i in 2003, Kaho‘olawe has seen a significant amount of progress. KIRC staff members and volunteers have planted more than 100 acres of native plant species, including trees, grasses and herbs. This revegetation effort seeks to distribute native plants and remove all invasive and alien species, which will ultimately yield a dryland forest. According to the KIRC Website, approximately 820 of the 12,800 eroded acres will be replanted, and 4,300 acres have been targeted for restoration.
From the land to the sea, the commission has taken steps to revitalize the island—and restore its cultural heritage. KIRC has emphasized cultural integration in all restoration efforts. All volunteers participating in restoration activities engage in group talk-story sessions, discuss the future uses of Kaho‘olawe, and practice cultural protocols as part of the KIRC Culture and Education Program.
At Tuesday’s meeting, commission members listened as Maui Aloha ‘Aina Association President Vincent Mina presented several observations and recommendations concerning the “greening” of Kaho‘olawe. “The wind and lack of rainfall is a barrier to plant growth,” he said.
Advising the commission to conduct further soil analyses and examine microbial activities, Mina drew a logical comparison between Kaho‘olawe and dry, windy areas of the Middle East. “Without proper calcium in the soil, there is no proper root growth,” he said. “Soil is where the healing will take place.” Most importantly, he said, “We need to put the ‘culture’ back into agriculture.”
The commission presented its Strategic Plan for 2009–13 consisting of eight strategic goals developed during a planning workshop in March. The eight strategic goals include a cultural use plan, financial plan, natural resource objectives and volunteer-base strategies. “These are the eight goals the KIRC has embraced for the next five years,” said Commission Chairman Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli. “And each corresponds with our vision statement.” Additionally, KIRC Commissioner Craig Neff assured that the Strategic Plan was a living document, “so we can always talk story and add to it.”
According to the commission, the greatest emphasis will be placed on the top three goals, which outline the KIRC’s cultural, financial and infrastructure objectives. Commissioners reminded the audience that many of the strategic goals are ongoing, and “always a work in progress.” Following a recent transition in management and staff reorganization, the commission discussed the restructuring of administrative programs, strategic groups and day-to-day staff. By condensing many of these positions, KIRC Executive Director Michael Naho‘opi‘i said, “People from all programs can work collaboratively.”
Throughout the afternoon of statistics, numbers and figures, the prevalent, overarching theme was one of cultural integrity—and mana‘o. “We need to make mana‘o fit into this organizational structure,” said Naho‘opi‘i. “That’s what this is all about.”
Pending a final review, the KIRC Strategic Plan for 2009-13 will be posted on the KIRC Website. For more information, visit www.kahoolawe.hawaii.gov.