2024-05-06 Deborah Ward - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Whittington Beach Park,and the Pahala Community Center and swimming pool (although located on the school site,the Pahala recreational facilities are County facilities). Numerous shoreline areas are accessed for recreational activities throughout the CWPP plan area. Emergency Services Emergency management resources for the CWPP area are detailed in the Emergency Management chapter of this document. They include police,fire,and medical services. Historical and Cultural Resources The Ka`u Community Development Plan3(CDP)has identified State and National Registered Historic Resources,Natural Beauty Sites,and Heritage Linkage Corridors in Ka`u. Many of them fall within the CWPP planning boundaries and are considered important considerations for mitigating wildfire threats. Additional areas of cultural significance are spread throughout the CWPP region. Water Resourcess The County Department of Water Supply has two separate water systems in the Ka`u District, the Na'alehu-Waiohinu system and the Pahala system.Areas outside the range of these two small water supply systems are not served by municipal water. Residents and farmers within those areas rely on water catchment systems and hauling for potable water. Some of these areas receive less than 20"rainfall per year,requiring regular hauling or water delivery. Low rainfall in the past two decades has caused drought conditions that make catchment systems even more unreliable for water supply. Wildfire History in Ka`u Hazardous conditions exist throughout the Ka`u area. Steep slopes,rough terrain,strong trade winds,and a prevalence of fire-promoting fuels characterize the Ka`u landscape. This,coupled with warm weather,recurring drought conditions,and a history of human-caused fire starts puts the area at risk of wildfire. County Fire Department records document numerous fire starts along the main highway and community roads. In addition to Hwy 11,the three major concentrations of fires over 5 acres in the last decade have been on/near Cane Haul Road,Ninole Loop/Punalu`u Road,and in the South Point area. These fires spread through unmanaged fuels in the untended lands along the roads and between homes.Because houses are often spread out,significant fire spread occurs through the areas,endangering homes and lives. Both the shoreline and upland areas have access roads (multiple ignition points) and include older settlement areas,historical buildings,and irreplaceable cultural and natural resources. Many of these roads are unpaved. Unmanaged fire fuels (primarily grasses) in these areas create a significant hazard,as vehicles are common sources of fire ignition. Once ignited,these fires spread rapidly and threaten nearby community infrastructure,neighborhoods,grazing lands,and valuable native flora and fauna. Ka`u is extremely isolated and the closest water source can be many miles away. Catchment systems and hauled water are the only source of water for those residents not serviced by the two 8