Tag: kona

August 16, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Persistent drought draining Big Island residents’ wallets

This year’s exceptional drought is driving up the cost of living in the Big Island’s parched Kau desert.

Many people in the Ocean View subdivisions live removed from the county water supply system, relying instead on rainwater catchment systems.

Trouble is, there’s been precious little rain.

So residents have been forced to replenish their catchment tanks more often, some paying up to $350 a month to have water hauled from the nearest fill station, 14 miles away in Naalehu.

The final phase of a $6 million project to bring county water to the area is slated to begin this month but is not scheduled for completion until next summer.

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September 17, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Ag development plan sessions scheduled | Hawaii247.org

MEDIA RELEASE

The public will have a final opportunity in late October and November to provide input into the 2009 County of Hawaii Agricultural Development Plan, being prepared for the Department of Research and Development by Agricon Hawaii LLC and The Kohala Center.

The Kohala Center is conducting islandwide listening sessions prior to finalizing the plan, which is intended to guide the revitalization of agriculture as a basis for the island’s economic development by focusing  on measures designed  to increase the production of food for local consumption and support the growth of export products.

The preliminary draft of the plan will be available for review by Oct. 10 at kohalacenter.org/agplan.html.

After the fall round of public sessions, The Kohala Center will incorporate public input and present the final draft to the county Department of Research and Development in early December.

In addition to attending a listening session, the public can provide suggestions and comments to Guy Kaulukukui, director of The Kohala Center’s Food Self-Reliance Program, at agplan@kohalacenter.org or 887-6411.

The sessions are 6-8 p.m. at the following dates and locations:

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