The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2019 Kahua Olohu Grant Agreement Final Progress Report Ho`omalu Ka`u a 501(c)3 non-profit July 18, 2022 Reid Sewake Department of Parks & Recreation 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 Hilo, HI 96720 RE: County of Hawaii, PONC Grant Agreement dated February 20, 2020 Ho’omalu Ka’u, Kahua Olohu Stewardship Program Final Report Dear Mr. Sewake: On behalf of the Board of Ho`omalu Ka`u, we are submitting the following final report for the Kahua Olohu Stewardship Grant which commenced on February 20, 2020 and expired on March 31, 2022, numbered C.008206. This was a continuation of the stewardship grant agreement which commenced on November 01, 2018, numbered C.007346. PROJECT SUMMARY: During the contract period, we conducted approximately sixty (60) community work days. Volunteers continued to clear the flat 10-acre area of the 13-acre property by removing loose stones and remnants of former ranch fencing and t-posts. The careful removal of these obstructions is a priority in order to maintain public safety and to allow for maintenance of the grounds with a mechanical mower. After installing the new fence line and access gate along Mamalahoa Highway, the County engaged 3C Goat Grazing to assist with mowing of the pasture grass. We hired a contracting company in April 2021 to finish by brush cutting the remaining grass stalks. With the brush cut low, we contracted NicFadden Landscaping to mow the entire flat 10-acre area of the property including the maintenance alley and twenty-foot wide wildfire fuel break located along the fence line bordering Mamalahoa Highway. We have since maintained a mowing schedule of every two weeks which includes weed wacking around the access gate area, pruning of trees, ongoing trash collection and weed control along the highway. The County engaged 3C Goat Grazing once again in March 2022 to assist with mowing of the pasture grass along the hillside. PROJECT ACTIVITIES: Since this stewardship grant is an extension of the previous grant, our primary work over the last twenty-five months has been to continue management of the pasture grass to allow for public access and future cultural practices on the property. Due to the current covid pandemic, most of the workdays were not open to the public. However, we did receive assistance in May 2021 from a group of 15 young volunteers with the GIVE volunteer abroad program. Volunteer Abroad Programs in Asia, Africa & Central America with GIVE! (givevolunteers.org) All stewardship has been completed by individuals maintaining social distancing and use of PPE. In early March 2020 as part of the previous stewardship grant, we hired a fencing contractor to remove the badly corroded fencing along Mamaloha Highway and to replace it with a new ungulate proof hogwire panel fence using High Tensile Steel Woven Wire Fabric, 1348-6-12.5 and donated T-133 Galvanized T-posts set every ten feet. All of the former fencing was removed and disposed of properly. Throughout 2020, Ho’omalu Ka’u maintained a mowing routine of every two weeks for a two-acre area on the east side of the property. A dry period during the end of the summer stunted the growth of the pasture grass; thereby allowing for the mowed area to be expanded to three acres. In February 2021, the County engaged 3C Goat Grazing to assist with management of the 7-acre pasture area which could not be mowed due to tall grass. In April 2021, we hired a contracting company to finish by brush cutting all remaining grass stalks within the 7-acre area. With the entire 10-acre area finally open, we were able to hire NicFadden Landscaping to mow the grounds and to maintain a mowing schedule every two weeks. The maintained area also includes the twenty-foot wide fuel break for wildfire prevention along Mamalahoa Highway. With this tall grass removed, the full ten-acre area is now available for educational and cultural purposes including the hosting of makahiki events and ceremonies. On December 02, 2021, our organization hosted a makahiki celebration at the Kahua Olohu for students, teachers and parents from Kua O Ka Lā New Century Public Charter School, Hīpuʻu Virtual Learning Academy. The teachers created a curriculum for students to learn the history and cultural significance of makahiki which included lessons on creating their own implements and participating in the games. We hope to continue our partnership with the teachers and staff at Kua O Ka La NCPCS with the goal of developing a curriculum which can be shared with other schools in the community and culminating in a celebration with games at the Kahua Olohu. We have also started an off-site nursery for the germination of native plants to be planted along the rocky three-acre hillside to the west. Our goal is to plant the hillside with dryland trees and shrubs. In addition to the mowing, ongoing maintenance includes weed wacking around the access gate area, pruning of trees, trash collection and weed control along the highway. A website has been created to allow for community engagement and volunteer outreach. After further refinement, we hope to launch the website within the next couple of months. A grant in the amount of $24,250 was awarded to Ho’omalu Ka’u under this agreement. The total spent during the 25-month grant period was $24,236.37. We received additional donations in the amount of $100.00. With this final report, we are returning the remaining grant funds. We will mail a check payable to the Director of Finance in the amount of $13.63. We appreciate the opportunity to steward this wahi pana of Ka’u over the past two years and look forward to continuing our work into the next grant period. Thank you Keoni Fox Kahua Olohu Committee Chair (808) 351-6279 FINAL ACCOUNTING STATEMENT Equipment Budgeted Expended Plastic Buckets Driver Handsaw/Clippers Weedeaters 5 33 180 1300 5.21 38.46 175.10 1321.14 TOTALS $1,518.00 $1,539.92 Supplies Budgeted Expended Transportation/Fuel Equipment Fuel Equipment Maintenance Herbicide/Fertilizer 2500 265 1500 500 2498.68 265.39 1494.48 513.61 TOTALS $4765 $4772.16 Contacted Services Budgeted Expended Lawn Services and Trash Disposal Website Design and Maintenance 15,280 1,937 15,237.31 1595.48 TOTALS $17,217.00 $16,832.79 Liability Insurance Budgeted Expended General Liability Insurance Policy 750.00 1091.50 TOTALS $750.00 $1091.50 Matching Funds - Services Donated Website Design and Maintenance 100.00 TOTALS $100.00 In Kind Services – Human Resources Budgeted Actual Cost Bookkeeping/General Accounting $2400 $5000 $200/month Project Director $20,000 $22,500 20hrs/month average @ $45/hour Grounds Manager/Event Planner and Volunteer Coordinator $10,000 $3125 5hrs/month average @ $25/hour Volunteer Hours $19,312 $9656 400 hours approx. @$24.14/hour TOTALS $51,712 $40,281 OVERALL PROJECT TOTALS BUDGETED EXPENDED FUNDS REMAINING $24,250.00 $24,236.37 $13.63 DETAILED EQUIPMENT INVENTORY Description Location Model Serial Number Date of Purchase Cost Disposal Date Security Camera Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Vosker V200 Outdoor #28504 65314 3/28/2020 $544.49 N/A Push Lawn Mower Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Honda HRN 166-cc 21-in Model #HRN216VKA 4/19/2019 $416.71 N/A Push Lawn Mower Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Honda HRN 166-cc 21-in Model #HRN216VKA 3/20/2020 $428.27 N/A Equipment Shed Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 10 ft. x 8 ft. US Leisure Model #157479 4/06/2019 $657.03 N/A Equipment Shed Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Big Max 7x7 Model#2035892 4/06/2019 $677.82 N/A Equipment Shed Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Big Max 7x7 Model #2035892 4/06/2019 $677.82 N/A Zero Turn Riding Mower Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Big Dog Alpha MP Kawasaki FR691 48” Serial #18063532 7/05/2019 $5000.00 N/A Equipment Trailer Ho’omalu Ka’u, Naalehu, Ka’u 96772 Aluma UT10 VIN 1YGUT1013JB173185 6/25/2019 $4616.18 N/A PHOTO LOG Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – May 11, 2020 Mowing along the Fuel Break – June 07, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – June 21, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – July 03, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – July 21, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – August 04, 2020 Mowing along the Fuel Break – August 24, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 06, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 19, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 22, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – October 07, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – October 20, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – November 01, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – November 17, 2020 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – December 05, 2020 Wiliwili Seedling at the Kahua Olohu – January 10, 2021 3C Goat Grazing at the Kahua Olohu – April 12, 2021 Gathering loose rocks at the Kahua Olohu – April 17, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – May 16, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – May 29, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – June 13, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – July 08, 2021 Collecting ranch debris at the Kahua Olohu – July 27, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – August 28, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 03, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 07, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – September 28, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – October 17, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – October 30, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – November 07, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – November 29, 2021 Kua O Ka La Makahiki at the Kahua Olohu – December 02, 2021 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – December 23, 2021 Vandalism along fenceline at the Kahua Olohu – January 15, 2022 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – March 08, 2022 Mowing at the Kahua Olohu – March 10, 2022 3C Goat Grazing at the Kahua Olohu – March 31, 2022