Emergency Environmental Workforce hilo progress Report
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| From: Kim Tavares & Greg Santos, Operation Miconia Hilo
Emergency Environmental Workforce HILO Progress Report 15 – 28 March 2002 Onomea Ranch Miconia Maintenance Emergency Environmental Workforce field crews are revisiting drainages and surveying some new areas in and around Onomea Ranch. The ranch is on the west side (mauka) of the highway at 200 feet elevation, and extends upwards to roughly 1500 feet, where the land transitions sharply from pasture to forest. It is an active cattle ranch with three major river drainages: Kawainui, Hanawi, and Kaieie, and several smaller runoffs and tributaries. Most of the drainages are infested with Miconia, and carry several generations of seed in the soil, ready to sprout. Destroying seeding trees and preventing young plants from maturing in these corridors is vital to protecting the upland forests. Crews began at the highway and worked mostly within and along side the drainages, up to 1,000 feet elevation at one point. Many of the trees found could not be accessed. Professionals trained to rappel will return at a later date to finish this work, but the Workforce has done what no small crew could ever do, 586 acres nearly 50,000 plants this reporting period. Totals March 15-28*: Kurtistown / Mountain View
Onomea
Overall Totals Since DECEMBER 2001*: Kurtistown / Mountain View
Onomea
______________________________________________________________________________ Project Total*: [ 294,538 ] Miconia plants destroyed over [ 5,580 ] Acres ______________________________________________________________________________ *Typographical errors in previously reported progress tables are reconciled in this report. 
Other Field Work: Mountain View Hotline Report Follow – Up Results Field crews continue to survey land at Mountain View in the vicinity of a reported Miconia tree. So far no Miconia have turned up on or around the parcel that it was reported on. Further research and field discoveries suggest that the reporting party must have misidentified a native Mamaki tree, something that has happened before. Crews spent two days during this period surveying 167 acres of land, and came up clean. This is important data because the area surveyed is directly centered between two confirmed perimeter sites, Enos Lane and Ihope. While the crews were disappointed because there were no Miconia to uproot, the valuable information provided by the ground surveys is a relief to Miconia control administrators. 
Training: Quality Control Monitoring & Mop-up Operation Miconia staff and a handful of EEWF personnel conducted a monitoring survey to check on treatments done during the first training weeks of the project. Personnel went back to Kurtistown to check roadsides and trails in the first areas swept by the EEWF. This important monitoring task is a vital tool for managers and field crews. Going back to a site a few months after the work was done gives the herbicide a chance to show its effectiveness, and inspectors can easily tell what was hit and what was missed. Results were good, as wilted and drying Miconia were seen all around. Crews were surprised to find a handful of sites that must have been overlooked, as a few plants were found untreated. It was a short reprieve for these few remaining plants, as the crews made quick work of destroying them on the spot. 
Logistics: Due to a security problem, base operations was moved back to Butler I, the building originally used by the EEWF crew. Butler II was constantly in use and seldom secure, which offered too much opportunity for gear to go missing. Butler I works much better for the project, with it’s tighter security, less traffic, and bathrooms. Mahalo to the County for its quick response and solution to the problem. Supplies: Michael Harris, an EEWF field team member in East Hawaii, has, on his own time, repaired many of the damaged military surplus backpacks to help out his fellow crew members. MAHALO MIKE!!! Performance: Another reporting period has passed with outstanding performance by everyone. Operation Miconia is enjoying the assistance from the EEWF crews very much. So much ground has been covered, and so many trees are destroyed. The keys to this projects success are teamwork and public support. It wouldn’t happen without the crews, and it couldn’t happen without residents’ cooperation. Accidents & Injuries: One worker was caught by a strawberry guava branch in the face. It is unclear whether or not there is permanent damage, but it did at least temporarily loosen a tooth. Ouch! It was nearly impossible for the worker to find a dentist that would accept workers comp claims, so the WC insurance company assisted, and the worker will get medical attention. Public Awareness: Tuesday, 3/19/02 at 6:45pm a public meeting was held at Kalanianaole School cafeteria. State Representative Dwight Takamine gave a legislative update on the status of several key bills. Rep. Takamine heard testimony from Paula Helfrich of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB) and Greg Santos of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, in support of the house and senate bills to continue the EEWF program. HIEDB is a long-time supporter of Operation Miconia, Prior to the EEWF project, HIEDB members were the primary volunteers working on the Onomea infestations. Others in attendance also spoke in support of the EEWF. An MS PowerPoint presentation on the accomplishments of the EEWF was presented at the March 22nd meeting of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee in Kona. The report was well received and BIISC members supported continuing the program. These EEWF progress reports are now available for downloading from the internet. Link here to download the ones you missed, in MS Word format: http://www.hear.org/operationmiconia/eewfnews.html Next Week: More work in the Onomea Ranch drainages, and more surveys in Kurtistown & Mountain View if it rains. 
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