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Wao Kele o Puna

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Photo of forest looking upslope toward the top of Mauna Loa. A shaft of sunlight illuminates a small area within the dark green expanse of woods
The forest of Wao Kele O Puna

Wao Kele O Puna(Wao Kele) isHawaiʻi's largest remaining lowlandwet forest,[1]about 15 mi (24 km) south of the city ofHilo,[2]along the East Rift Zone ofKīlaueavolcano on theIsland of Hawaiʻi.The name means theuplandrainforestofPuna.Puna is one of 9 districts on the island.Lavafrom Kīlauea continues to flow onto forest land.[3][needs update]

In 2006, theTrust for Public Land(TPL) purchased Wao Kele, ending a twenty-year struggle to prevent tapping the sizeablegeothermal energyresources that lie below it. Opponents believe that the area is the home of the fire goddessPele.It is also known as thePuna Forest Reserve,located just east of thePuʻu ʻŌʻōvent.

History

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The state of Hawaiʻi owned Wao Kele until 1986, when the then Campbell Estate exchanged Kahaualeʻa, an adjacent forest parcel, for it at the state's request. Campbell Estate was a private, for-profit trust set up for the heirs ofScottish-IrishcarpenterJames Campbell,established in 1900 and dissolved in 2007. Campbell bought more than 84,000 acres (34,000 ha) of Hawaiʻi land before his death.[4]

Environmentalists proposed the trade because they considered Kahaualeʻa to be in better condition than Wao Kele. ThePele Defense Fund,however, sued, arguing that privatizing Wao Kele would end traditional hunting and gathering bynative Hawaiians.[4]The suit led to a controversialHawaiʻi State Supreme Courtruling that granted natives access to such private property.[4]

In the 2006 transaction, TPL paid $3.65 million for Wao Kele, $131/acre, using $3.4 million in U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy program money, along with $250,000 from theOffice of Hawaiʻian Affairs(OHA). TPL then transferred title to OHA.[5]

On 28 August 2007 OHA took formal ownership of Wao Kele.[6]The office of Hawaiian Affairs acquired Wao Kele o Puna, in order to protect its natural and cultural resources as well as the traditional and customary rights of Native Hawaiians accessing the property.[7]TheHawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife is responsible for managing the land until 2017.[3]

Geothermal energy

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Wao Kele is licensed forgeothermal energydevelopment until 31 January 2016. As of 2009, Hawaiʻi uses the permit only to monitor two existing geothermal wells.[4]OHA has no plans for further development.[3]The Hawaiʻi Legislature has provided $2 million to plug the existing TrueMid-Pacific well with sand and concrete in 2009.[3]

The state of Hawaiʻi has substantial geothermal resources, which could dramatically reduce fossil fuel use and energy prices there if the energy can be extracted without damage to the surrounding environment and in accordance with Hawaiʻian law and culture.[8]Geologists estimate that the Big Island alone has the potential to generate 500–700 megawatts of electricity.[9]

Wao Kele came to the attention of geothermal developers after other private sites became inundated with fresh lava from Kīlauea, at depths ranging up to 300 ft (91 m). Developers claim that 100 megawatts of power could be generated from only 300 of the forest's nearly 28,000 acres (11,000 ha), enough to provide all the electricity for the island's 175,000 residents.[10]

Opponents cite the numerous health and safety problems experienced by an experimental state-run plant that closed in 1989, notably including toxichydrogen sulfidegas emissions.[1]A separate plant (Puna Geothermal Venture) went online in 1993 in Puna's Lower East Rift Zone and continued to generate 25–30 megawatts of electricity[11]The natural increase in hydrogen sulfide and volcanic ash emissions due to volcanic activity within the Kilaueacalderaat times produces sufficientvogto affect breathing on the nearby island ofMaui.[12]until it was closed in May 2018 due to intrusion of lava from the2018 lower Puna eruption,before a partial resumption of operations in November 2020.[13]

The forest

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At 27,785 acres (11,244 ha), Wao Kele isHawaiʻi's largest lowlandwet forest.It is home to numerous primary and rare plant species including hāpuʻu ferns (Cibotiumspp.), ʻieʻie vines (Freycinetia arborea), and kōpiko (Psychotria mariniana), some of which help to limit invasive species' incursions. ʻOpeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian hoary bat,Lasiurus cinereus semotus) ʻio (Hawaiian hawk,Buteo solitarius), common ʻamakihi (Hemignathus virens), and nananana makakiʻi (happy-face spider,Theridion grallator) live in the trees. There are thought to be many more as-yet-undocumented species within the forest.[1][2]Wao Kele's primary forest tree is ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha).[4]

Wao Kele occupies approximately one-fifth of the watershed that feeds the Pahoa aquifer.

The Wao Kele o Puna Reserve is threatened by a number of invasive species, including strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), Molucca albizia (Falcataria moluccana), Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta), and glory bush (Tibouchina herbacea). Albizia occurs widely in the surrounding area, but is limited to a relatively small number of sites within the reserve. Large patches of strawberry guava occur within the reserve.

Myths

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WhenPelecame to theisland of Hawai'ishe found that there was another god of fire currently in possession of the territory.ʻAilāʻauwas known and feared by all the people residing in the area. His name, 'Ai means "one who eats or devours." Lāʻau means "tree" or "forest", therefore the God of Fire's name translated to devouring forests. Time and time again, he spread his wrath over the southern districts of Hawai'i creating the desolate lava fields.

Translation of the account of Pele taking over Kilauea:

When Pele came to the island Hawaiʻi, she first stopped at a place called Keahialaka in the district of Puna. From this place she began her inland journey toward the mountains. As she passed on her way there grew within her an intense desire to go at once and see ʻAilāʻau, the god to whom Kılauea belonged, and find a ̄ resting-place with him as the end of her journey. She came up, but ʻAilāʻau was not in his house. Of a truth he had made himself thoroughly lost. He had vanished because he knew that this one coming toward him was Pele. He had seen her toiling down by the sea at Keahialaka. Trembling dread and heavy fear overpowered him. He ran away and was entirely lost. When he came to that pit she laid out the plan for her abiding home, beginning at once to dig up the foundations. She dug day and night and found that this place fulfilled all her desires. Therefore, she fastened herself tight to Hawaiʻi for all time. These are the words in which the legend disposes of this ancient god of volcanic fires. He disappears from Hawaiian thought and Pele from a foreign land finds a satisfactory crater in which her spirit power can always dig up everlastingly overflowing fountains of raging lava.[14]

References

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  1. ^abcEgan, Timothy (January 26, 1990)."Energy Project Imperils a Rain Forest".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  2. ^abTindall, Ashley (September 1, 2007)."Wao Kele O Puna".RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  3. ^abcdThompson, Rod (August 28, 2007)."OHA takes control of Big Isle forest".Honolulu Star Bulletin.Retrieved2009-11-06.
  4. ^abcdeRuel, Tim (April 4, 2001)."Campbell Estate selling half of land holdings".RetrievedSeptember 16,2001.
  5. ^Borreca, Richard (September 13, 2005)."OHA to acquire Puna forest tract".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  6. ^Thompson, Rod (July 20, 2006)."OHA buys Wao Kele forest land on Big Island".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.RetrievedMay 2,2018.
  7. ^Nalehualawaiku'ulei (August 2017)."Wao Kele O Puna: Comprehensive Management Plan"(PDF).Office of Hawaiian Affairs.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
  8. ^"Geothermal maps"(PDF).Hawaii.gov.RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  9. ^Olson, Harry J. (January 29, 1992)."Preliminary Results and Status report of the Hawaiian Scientific Observation Hole program"(PDF).University of Hawaii.RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  10. ^"Population, Hawaii County 2008 estimate".RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  11. ^"Puna Geothermal Venture".RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  12. ^"Frequently Asked Questions about Air Quality in Hawaiʻi".U.S. Geological Service.RetrievedSeptember 16,2009.
  13. ^"Puna Geothermal Venture Goes Back Online".
  14. ^Westervelt, W. D. (1916).Hawaiian legends of volcanoes (mythology).University of California: Boston. pp. 3–4.hdl:2027/uc1.32106000769817.ISBN9781410206428.
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