Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 10, 1 October 2013 — Kahoʻolawe ecosystem grant [ARTICLE]

Kahoʻolawe ecosystem grant

The Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission has received a twoyear grant from the Hawai'i Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to restore native ecosystems on the island's northern slopes. Work in the 108.7-acre project site in the Hakioawa watershed will include soil-erosion control, planting native shrubs and removing non-native weeds, in addition to monitoring work. Volunteers from around the state will assist with the restoration work and learn appropriate cultural protocol under the guidance of experienced Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission access guides and staff members. An estimated 1.9 million tons of soil erodes from Kaho'olawe eaeh year, due to its history as a ranching area, grazing area for invasive goats and its use as a former bombing range by the U.S. Navy for 50 years.