http://www.theoutdoorcircle.com/ en Copyright 2013 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/hele-on-kakaako-a-complete-streets-demo/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/hele-on-kakaako-a-complete-streets-demo/#When:03:30:16Z Support sustainability this Mother’s Day with an all-day event that features good food, outside activities, and sustainable development demonstrations. Hele On Kaka‘ako!! Sunday May 12th Cooke Street and Ala Moana Blvd 10 AM – 3 PM We are excited to partner with organizations throughout O‘ahu for “Hele On Kaka‘ako!” 10 AM – 3 PM on May 12th. It is an alternative Mother’s Day event hosted by Cycle On Hawai‘i that offers lots of activities for families, including a 5K run, a skateboard ramp, “Eat the Street” Food Trucks, educational booths, and the first-ever in Hawai’i “Complete Street” demonstration. That’s why TOC will be there — to show just how much better our streets could be if they are designed well, with community involvement and, of course, lots of trees. We’ll have thousands of plants for sale, hat weaving demonstrations, and lots more. Come and visit Outdoor Circle volunteers at our educational booth and parklet on Cooke Street. Find out the latest event details, including parking visit: http://www.cycleonhawaii.org. 2013-05-07T03:30:16+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/presidents-message/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/presidents-message/#When:05:22:12Z It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as President during this exciting year for The Outdoor Circle. I want to take this moment to first thank all of the Board Members who served with me during this time and helped to grapple with the many important issues facing our organization, as well as all of the volunteers who have worked so hard to make all of our undertakings a success. I am pleased to announce and recommend for approval the 2013 Amended Bylaws for the organization. Click here to read more about the bylaws that were revised through a very involved engagement process. I am also very pleased to invite everyone to the Hele On Kaka’ako event on Mother’s Day in and around Mother Waldron Park starting at 10 AM. This “Complete Streets” Demonstration and Cyclovia event is the result of hundreds of volunteer hours to design and implement. This will hopefully be the first of many attempts to display the community driven process for designing healthy, people-centric streets throughout Hawai‘i. TOC members will be there all-day at the educational booth and at our very own “parklet”. Click here to learn more about this event from Cycle On Hawai‘i. 2013-05-09T05:22:12+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/pldc-repealed-legislative-update/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/pldc-repealed-legislative-update/#When:05:21:24Z The Governor reluctantly signed H.B. 1333 into law to end the Public Lands Development Corporation before the close of 2013 legislative session. As Hawai‘i’s 2013 Legislature convened in January, The Outdoor Circle was immediately involved in identifying and tracking bills that relate to our mission of keeping Hawai`i “Clean, Green and Beautiful” for future generations. Even before session began it was clear that the most pressing issue facing lawmakers would be repealing or amending the highly controversial Public Lands Development Corporation. Hundreds of people across the state turned out for PLDC rule-making hearings (pictured), calling for the repeal of the new law. The PLDC was controversial because it granted the authority to enter into public-private development agreements whose skids would be greased by exemptions from the environmental reviews required to protect Hawai`i’s beauty and natural resources. By the time the 2013 Legislature opened its doors a dozen or more bills had been introduced to severely modify and outright repeal the PLDC. Many authored and supported by lawmakers who previously created the PLDC monster. As the PLDC bills made their way through the process, TOC collaborated with legislators, other organizations and individual advocates to ensure a unified approach to PLDC-related legislation. In the end, only one bill survived unamended and on the Governor’s desk. House Bill 1133: signed. The PLDC: done. TOC staff initially reviewed more than 2500 House and Senate bills and identified approximately 100 for further review by the Public Affairs Committee. The PA committee met to prioritize the “watch list.” Bills marked as priorities have been closely followed with testimony submitted and/or presented on numerous bills relating to the PLDC and PLDC “offspring,” Complete Streets, Trails and Greenways Program Development, HCDA Rules, Landscaping of Iolani Palace, Wind Generation and Undersea Cable Development and many others. 2013-05-09T05:21:24+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/rail-ruling-appealed/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/rail-ruling-appealed/#When:05:20:53Z Federal Judge Wallace Tashima ruled in late December that the City and County of Honolulu may continue constructing the controversial Honolulu Rail project, while fixing the flaws in its Environmental Impact Statement. The project still faces a major hurdle in fixing the shortfalls in its “Archeological Inventory Assessment” identified in a separate suit. The Rail Project proposes to construct a 20 mile above-ground mass transit system from Kaplolei to Ala Moana Shopping Center for $5.26 billion. The Outdoor Circle is one of several plaintiffs that asked the Federal Court to stop the project on the grounds that the City’s Final Environmental Impact Statement is incomplete, flawed and failed to consider a number of factors required by Federal law. Most notably, the project will obstruct numerous mauka-makai view planes and degrade the public experience of parks and historic sites near the project. “The Rail Project as proposed will forever alter the scenic beauty of O‘ahu and the quality of life in communities along the route,” said Executive Director Marti Townsend. “This suit is important to protect the people’s right to be informed of these impacts before they happen, which we can only get when the EIS process is done right.” Judge Tashima did halt the fourth phase of the project, in the downtown area, until the city conducts additional studies to answer questions about a tunnel alternative and impacts on this historic Mother Waldron Park and cultural sites along the rail route. The Outdoor Circle and the co-plaintiffs are appealing the district court ruling to the 9th Circuit. Meanwhile, The Outdoor Circle has resumed tree consultations with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit—HART. The meetings, required by the Federal government to ensure the proper disposition of more than 1000 trees along the elevated rail line, were suspended by the City when TOC joined the lawsuit to stop the project in 2012. In the first meeting since the suspension, TOC learned that HART intends to remove three mature Monkey Pod trees from the entry to Aiea’s Blaisdell Park in order to move Kamehameha Highway in the makai direction and make room for the huge concrete guideway. HART has asked TOC to recommend mitigation for this enormous loss to the park and the community. 2013-05-09T05:20:53+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/toc-action-stops-illegal-signs/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/toc-action-stops-illegal-signs/#When:05:18:25Z Quick work by TOC staff nipped an island-wide illegal advertising campaign in the bud. Thanks to detailed reports from TOC members, Honolulu County officials ordered the illegal signs removed within days of their unveiling. The campaign by Chevron Corporation and grocery giant Safeway resulted in the overnight blanketing of both companies’ O`ahu retail outlets with numerous banners and illegal signs advertising a rewards program. “These large companies failed to educate themselves about our restrictive sign laws and the role they play in protecting the scenic beauty of our communities,” said Program Director Bob Loy. “The result was one of the more serious sign posting incidents I have ever seen.” Upon receiving citizen complaints and making personal observations the TOC staff contacted company representatives and the county enforcement agency, the Department of Planning and Permitting. The County quickly dispatched inspectors who documented multiple illegally posted signs at nearly all O`ahu Safeway stores and Chevron stations. Within two days all of the signs were removed. 2013-05-09T05:18:25+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/dot-to-replace-kauai-airport-trees/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/dot-to-replace-kauai-airport-trees/#When:04:55:07Z After destroying the parking lot trees at Lihue Airport in May 2012, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has committed to replace nearly 70 trees at the airport’s expense. According to eye-witness reports, Lihue Airport maintenance crews removed “nearly every branch” from the trees while providing no protection for themselves, passers-by, or the private vehicles around the trees. Kauai Outdoor Circle president, Maureen Murphy and TOC member Jackie Ralya observed, documented, and reported the devastation. TOC notified state officials and the media. TOC’s investigation revealed that airport maintenance crews with no formal training in tree care were directed by airport officials to improperly prune the trees. After months of TOC demands for accountability from DOT officials, a plan for replacement has been approved and DOT is taking steps to hire a contractor who will replace the destroyed trees. The project budget is $100,000 but its not known if that will be sufficient to replace all of the trees. TOC plans to continue to watch over DOT’s efforts to ensure the beauty of the Lihue Airport is fully restored, for the benefit of Hawai`i residents and the hundreds of thousands of visitors that arrive at the airport each year. 2013-05-09T04:55:07+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/maui-branch-supports-protecting-special-places/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/maui-branch-supports-protecting-special-places/#When:04:43:27Z The Maui Outdoor Circle (MOC) held its annual meeting May 4, where they featured the birds of Kanahā. MOC members were treated to a presentation by several expert birders familiar with the beauty, rare natural resources, and history of this special wetland near the Maui airport. Working with the Friends of Kanahā, MOC will be focusing on restoration and beautification projects to improve people’s appreciation of Kanahā. (Pictured to the left) In addition, MOC joined other organizations in supporting protections for a rare dryland forest in South Maui. The Department of Land and Natural Resources is finalizing a Habitat Conservation Plan for multiple native species found in the rare dryland forest ecosystem of the southern lava flow of the Honua’ula project. (Pictured to the right) The Draft Habitat Conservation Plan proposed by the Honua’ula landowners recommends that only 40 of the 170 acres recommended for critical habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service be preserved. This would result in the loss of 100+ acres of native lowland dryland ecosystem. MOC is concerned that the landowners’ plan will mean many magnificent native wiliwili trees and associated native plants will not be included in the proposed 40 acre preserve. It also is concerned that 35 additional acres of “conservation areas” proposed for native plants are small, fragmented areas, where the survival of native plants may be impacted by the chemicals, fertilizers and brackish water used for nearby golf courses or residential landscaping. DLNR and the USFWS can force the landowners to protect 130-acres of the 170 acre critical habitat area as a natural, interconnected habitat preserve. Since this is where native plants are already choosing to grow, it is the most logical place to protect to ensure their survival. The Honua’ula lands, close to urban populations, are much more ideal to be used as “living classrooms” to pass on the love and care of the land to future generations. MOC hopes the decision will be in preserving this treasured forest in its entirety. 2013-05-09T04:43:27+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/toc-backs-beach-and-parks-smoking-ban/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/toc-backs-beach-and-parks-smoking-ban/#When:04:35:42Z The City and County of Honolulu has approved a smoking ban at five of Oahu’s most popular beach parks. Bill 72 bans people from lighting up at Kapiolani Park and its surrounding areas, Kuhio Beach Park, Duke Kahanamoku Beach Park, the beach portion of Ala Moana Park and Sandy Beach Park. But a much broader smoking ban already is in the works. The experts say cigarette butts constitute the most frequently removed items during beach cleanup projects, and of course, cigarette smokers are the source of that litter. So it was an easy decision for TOC to support Councilmember Stanley Chang’s no smoking bill as a way of preventing the degradation of our environment. In fact, TOC testified that the ban should cover all beaches and parks on O‘ahu. But before the ink of the Mayor’s signature dried on the partial ban Councilmember Ikaika Anderson introduced a new measure to expand that ban islandwide. TOC has extended its support to the new proposal, which currently is making its way through the Council process. 2013-05-09T04:35:42+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/two-projects-propose-to-decimate-honolulu-airport-trees/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/two-projects-propose-to-decimate-honolulu-airport-trees/#When:04:31:03Z More than 600 trees and palms are scheduled to be removed and forever lost from landscaped areas of Honolulu International Airport to make way for two huge building projects. You’ve heard of the massive Washington D.C. building—The Pentagon? Get ready to meet Hawaii’s version—The Rentagon—a consolidated car rental facility that will offer one-stop shopping for travelers and a one-stop facility for all rental companies to store and maintain their vehicles. “The gateway to paradise is about to lose its look of aloha,” said Outdoor Circle Program Director Bob Loy. Its real name is the acronym CONRAC. At fives stories tall and covering 11 acres, it will be one of the largest structures ever built in Hawai‘i. Standing in the way of this behemoth are approximately 300 mature trees and palms that are slated for removal, including large Monkey Pods, Royal Poincianas and several palm varieties. The DOT says it will try to relocate about 15 of them, but the rest are headed for the mulch bin. And this is only half the story. A second project to expand the Interisland Terminal will cause the additional removal of more than 370 trees and palms. The DOT says it will relocate approximately half of these trees to various DOT highway projects. The Mauka Concourse will take over the space currently occupied by the low-rise interisland terminal where “GO Airlines” and other small carriers operate, along with its tree-lined parking lot. TOC will provide input on the landscaping plans for both buildings, but due to their enormous size and limited space, few new trees will be planted. Work on the projects is slated to begin this summer and end by 2017. In total, 671 trees will be removed, possibly 192 relocated and 146 new plantings of trees and palms. The net loss of trees and palms: 333. “We fully understand that a world class destination needs a world class airport, but the current plans are going to make Honolulu International look like the typical sterile airports you see in faceless cities everywhere,” Loy said. 2013-05-09T04:31:03+00:00 http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/waimea-spreads-seedlings-greetings/ http://www.outdoorcircle.org/blog/waimea-spreads-seedlings-greetings/#When:04:27:26Z An annual tradition in the cool air of Kamuela was again renewed last December by the members of the Waimea Outdoor Circle who once again celebrated the holidays with the Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade. In addition to spreading good cheer from one end of town to the other, the WOC purchases and gives away hundreds of tree seedlings. The tradition has been ongoing for many years. President Cheryl Langton says it is her goal as new WOC President to make the parade even bigger in coming years. Look for them this coming December marching through the streets of Waimea town. To find out more: click this link to the newsletter for the Waimea branch. 2013-05-09T04:27:26+00:00