Kahului, Maui) – Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English (District 7 – Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi and Kahoʻolawe) joined State, county and community leaders today at the Kahului Airport for the blessing and unveiling of a new consolidated rental car facility (CONRAC). Conrac Blessing Photo: (left to right) Rep. Kyle Yamashita , Governor David Ige; Sen. Rosalyn Baker (not pictured); HDOT Airports Division Deputy Director Ross Higashi; Kahului Airport Manager Marvin Moniz; Maui Mayor Mike Victorino; Senator J. Kalani English; Rep. Lynn DeCoite; Rep. Troy Hashimoto; and Kahu Kalani Wong participate in the blessing ceremony and untying of the maile lei for the new Kahului Airport Conrac. (Photo courtesy of the Hawai’i Department of Transportation) The new 1.3 million square-foot facility features a two-tram electric train system; space for rental car company offices; customer service counters; 4,500 parking stalls; 72 fuel pumps; quick turnaround service bays for oil, water and air; vehicle washing racks; ready and return rental car spaces; and upper-level airport staff parking. The tram will replace two dozen shuttle buses that carry passengers in an average of 85 trips per hour to rental car companies makai of the airport terminal. In 2010, Sen. English introduced SB2461 (Act 204), a bill that raised the daily motor vehicle customer facility charge (CFC) from $1.00 to $4.50. The bill also required that monies from the CFC be deposited into the newly established rental motor vehicle customer facility charge special fund for the enhancement, renovation, operation, and maintenance of existing rental motor vehicle customer facilities and the development of new rental motor vehicle customer facilities at state airports. (Photo courtesy of the Hawai’i Department of Transportation) The CONRAC at Kahului Airport cost $340 million and used no tax payer monies. Construction began in April 2016 and the project was completed earlier this year. “Over 2,000 vehicles are rented on Maui every day and a new facility was needed to accommodate the island’s rental car demands,” said Sen. English. “Both locals and tourists will be able to benefit from this project. I am proud to say that Maui’s CONRAC was on time and on budget.” #maui #SenatorEnglish #JKalaniEnglish #conrac #SB2461 #CustomerFacilityCharge #Governorige #davidige #kyleyamashita #rozbaker #lynndecoite #troyhashimoto #kalaniwong #mikevictorino #marvinmoniz #rosshigashi #ConsolidatedRentalCarFacility

2019-05-02 HTA RFPs to Support 2020 Community Programs.pdf HONOLULU – The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) today issued three Request for Proposals offering to provide funding support to qualified programs that will help to perpetuate Hawaiian culture, preserve and enhance natural resources and enrich Hawaii’s offerings through community-based tourism projects and events in 2020. HTA is supporting a total of 130 community-focused programs statewide in 2019. Applicants are encouraged to review and download the RFPs from HTA’s website for three programs – Community Enrichment, Kukulu Ola, and Aloha Aina – each of which are designed to help improve Hawaii’s quality of life for residents, while also enhancing the visitor experience. The three community-based programs for which HTA has issued RFPs to provide funding support in 2020 are as follows: Community Enrichment (RFP 20-01): HTA is supporting community-oriented projects, festivals and events in the niche areas of agriculture, culture, culinary, education, health and wellness, nature, sports, technology and voluntourism for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. Kūkulu Ola (RFP 20-02): HTA is seeking programs and events that enhance, strengthen and help to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture by supporting community groups, cultural practitioners, craftsmen, musicians and artists. Aloha ‘Āina (RFP 20-03): HTA is supporting community-based programs with an emphasis on aina-kanaka (land-human) relationships that help manage, conserve, revitalize and enhance Hawaii’s natural resources and environment. All inquiries should be directed to Ronald Rodriguez, HTA procurement officer and contract specialist, at contracting@gohta.net. [Full release here] #HawaiitourismAuthority #HTA #RFP #CommunityEnrichment #kukuluola #alohaaina #RonaldRodriguez #Tourism #NaturalResources #HawaiianCulture #Hawaii

​​​​​​​HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is seeking feedback on the first draft of a 2030 Promise Plan, which will guide the Department for the next decade, centered around five promises to students. An online toolkit for the community to provide feedback is available at HawaiiPublicSchools.org. Feedback will be gathered through August 1, with a first draft of the plan to be delivered in September. The availability of the toolkit was announced at the Board of Education’s General Business Meeting at the Nānākuli Public Library on Thursday. “Our students are too important for small promises,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto. “Our next phase of strategic planning will bring together stakeholder vision and purpose around public education as a change agent for Hawai‘i, fueled by our three strategies: School Design, Teacher Collaboration, and Student Voice.” Through the five promises to students, HIDOE seeks to build and expand upon gains that have been made over the last two strategic plans and innovate to solve persistent challenges. The aim is a thriving, sustainable state that embodies the values of HĀ. The promises are: Hawai‘i: Students will be educated within a public school system that is grounded in HĀ, powers a multilingual society, and honors Hawai‘i’s local and global contribution. Equity: Students will experience strong relationships and supports that mitigate disempowering differences to enable them to thrive academically, socially, and civically. School Design: Students will be immersed in excellent learning environments that are thoughtfully designed around a community’s power to contribute to a thriving, sustainable Hawai‘i. Empowerment: Students will develop their authentic voice as contributors to equity, excellence and innovation, by providing input on what they learn, how they learn, and where they learn. Innovation: Students will engage in rigorous, technology-rich, problem-solving learning that enables them to solve authentic community challenges and develop pathways to goals. The feedback to be gathered from HIDOE staff and the community revolves around what these promises look like and what it will take to get there by 2030, focusing on creative solutions. Complex Area Superintendents will be working with their principals and Assistant Superintendents with their offices to collect their insight. “We look forward to building equity, excellence, and innovation in every public school through the next strategic plan,” said Deputy Superintendent Phyllis Unebasami. “This is a great opportunity for the community to drive the conversation about their public school system.” The online toolkit (direct link: http://bit.ly/HIDOESP-P1) features a step-by-step guide to the process and supporting materials to help anyone in the community prepare, promote and host a feedback session. “I’m proud to be from Nānākuli. I’m looking forward to using the plan to make good on our promises to this community,” said Nānākuli High & Intermediate Principal Darin Pilialoha. “We are expanding our learning capacity through partnerships and building our core values of self-appreciation and appreciation for this place.” The conversation around the 2030 Promise Plan began in January 2019 when Supt. Kishimoto released her vision statement to encourage school communities and families to think about three guiding questions as we move into the next decade: What do we value in a PK-12 educational experience? Many will agree that what we value most in the school experience, which informs our understanding of student success, is not fully captured in an accountability system. How do we measure what we really value? We must take on the challenge of incorporating qualitative measures if we value students developing metacognition, empathy, and engaging in research and contributing to a knowledge base. How do we support each child to experience success? Learning structured around exploration, creativity, discovery and design is different from mandated content coverage and demonstration of isolated, discrete skills. More children are reached, engaged and supported by the former; it inspires lifelong learning. After a first draft of the plan is released in September 2019, another round of feedback in reaction to the plan will be gathered, decisions will be made regarding aligned benchmarks and metrics, and a final plan will be presented to the Board of Education early next year. #DEPARTMENTOFEDUCATION #hawaiistatedepartmentofeducation #2030 #HawaiiPromiseProgram #christinekishimoto #darinpilialoha #nanakulihighschool

HONOLULU – Gov. Ige has set July 30, 2019 as the date he will sign the new rules for the state Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The new rules will take effect on Aug. 9, 2019. The Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC) and State Environmental Council (Council) submitted its final rules to the governor at the beginning of April 2019 after completing a nearly two-year effort to modernize the existing rules. The governor set the signing date so that all stakeholders have sufficient time to prepare for the adoption of the new rules. The OEQC publication date for The Environmental Notice on Aug. 8, 2019 will be the last issue under the current rules. The Aug. 23, 2019 issue will be the first one for the new rules. In developing the new rules, the Council prepared four working drafts and held about 30 public meetings, including nine public hearings with at least one on each island. “These rules strike the right balance to ensure public involvement in government decision making and the disclosure of activities that might affect our environment,” said Gov. David Ige. “The work that the volunteers on the Environmental Council and the OEQC staff have done to build consensus has been impressive. Setting the date for the end of July will give our state and county agencies time to prepare for the new requirements and to make sure projects have time to comply with the new rules,” said Scott Glenn, director, Office of Environmental Quality Control. The new rules would repeal the existing Hawai‘i Administrative Rule (HAR) Chapter 11-200 and adopt a new chapter called HAR Chapter 11-200.1. The Council sought to repeal and replace rather than revise the existing rules because the new rules reorganize the structure and make numerous revisions and additions. The new rules incorporate changes in the statute made by the Legislature and rulings by the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. They also clarify roles and responsibilities in the process, require agencies to publicly list their exemptions on a monthly basis, allow for exemptions for building urban affordable housing in certain circumstances, make considering sea level rise and greenhouse gas emissions explicit, and require a public scoping meeting at the beginning of an EIS, among other changes. For more information go to the OEQC webpage, which includes links to all of the rules documents and a timeline of the effort: http://health.hawaii.gov/oeqc/rules-update/ #ige #OEQC #StateEnvironmentalCouncil #EnvironmentalImpactStatement #EIS #Governorige #DavidIge #Hawaii #environment #ScottGlenn #HawaiiSupremeCourt

MAUI – Hawaii State Senator Roz Baker will host Talk-Story sessions in West Maui and Kihei this week. She will be joined by House colleagues to provide updates on the 2019 legislative session and discuss ongoing concerns with the community. WHO: Senator Roz Baker and Representative Angus McKelvey WHAT: Talk story to provide updates on 2019 Legislative Session WHEN: Tuesday, May 7, 2019 5-7pm WHERE: West Maui Senior Center 788 Pauoa Street, Lahaina WHO: Senator Roz Baker and Representative Tina Wildberger WHAT: Talk story to provide updates on 2019 Legislative Session WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 5-6:30pm WHERE: Kihei Caffe 1945 S. Kihei Road, Kihei For more information, contact the office of Senator Rosalyn Baker, (808) 586-6070 #rozbaker #roslynbaker #maui #talkstorysession #westmaui #kihei #legislativesession #westmauiseniorcenter #tinawildberger #kiheicaffe #hawaiisenate #hawaiisenatemajority

HONOLULU – Four Hawaii State Senator have sent a letter to the State Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, calling for an immediate statewide grounding of tour and commercial helicopter operations, or a ban on all commercial helicopter flights over residential neighborhoods until an investigation into Monday’s fatal crash of a tour helicopter in Kailua can be completed. Senators Stanley Chang (District 9), Jarrett Keohokalole (District 24), Gil Riviere (District 23), and Laura Thielen (District 25) signed the letter, stating, “As elected officials it is our responsibility to protect our constituents.” The site of Monday’s crash is located in Senate District 25. Monday’s incident, in which three people died, was the second helicopter crash in the District since an October 22, 2018 incident that left three people severely injured. Another commercial helicopter made a “hard landing” in Windward Oahu less than two weeks ago. “Residents throughout our State have long complained about the lack of flight plans and rules regulating commercial and tour helicopters,” the letter said. “Concerns vary from general annoyance to fears of aircraft falling from the sky. Today our worst fears were realized.” #HELICOPTERS #stanleychang #JarrettKeohokalole #LauraThielen #StateDepartmentofTransportation #FederalAviationAdministration #FAA

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA) today named Principal Stacie Kunihisa from Kanoelani Elementary School as the 2019 Hawaii National Distinguished Principal (NDP). Kunihisa will join the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) awardees from the other 49 states in Washington D.C. in October. The other 2019 NDP honorees include: Lorelei Aiwohi, David Kalakaua Middle, Honolulu District Jamie Dela Cruz, Kaelepulu Elementary, Windward District Halle Maxwell, Kihei Elementary, Maui District Dennis O’Brien, Ernest Bowen De Silva Elementary, Hawaii District Garrett Yukumoto, Iliahi Elementary, Central District Paul Zina, Eleele Elementary, Kauai District Michael Sugano from Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School was honored as the 2019 Hawaii Outstanding Vice Principal. He will be traveling to Spokane for the NAESP conference in July where he will be honored with the other Outstanding Assistant Principals. “School leaders, both principals and vice principals, play a critical role in a student’s education experience, from making sure our campuses are safe to providing the tools that educators and staff need to nurture and teach their students,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “Congratulations to Principal Kunihisa, Vice Principal Sugano and all of the well-deserving district honorees. Mahalo for your dedication to the Department and Hawaii’s public school students.” Complex Area Superintendent Keith Hui praised Kunihisa as an innovative and effective leader, adding, "Under Principal Kunihisa’s leadership, achievement in math, English language arts, and science has consistently improved year after year and surpasses goals for the complex and the state. Her work speaks volumes not only to her commitment to our community, but her work speaks to her effectiveness as a leader." Just last week, Kunihisa also received the $25,000 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award, which annually recognizes outstanding public school principals in Hawaii for their efforts to provide high-quality learning opportunities for their students. Kunihisa has been a principal with the Hawaii State Department of Education for 10 years, seven of which have been at Kanoelani Elementary. As principal at Kanoelani Elementary, Kunihisa has established a positive school culture of learning more, caring more, and being more. Her most significant accomplishments as school principal include nearly doubling teacher satisfaction, developing a Teachers Leading and Learning program to convert faculty meetings into teacher-led professional development sessions and building a Community Partnership Program that has brought in a significant amount of financial and human resources to increase the school’s extracurricular offerings. The 2019 NDP awards took place at the Hale Koa Hotel and was sponsored by HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, iStation, Spectrum and the Educational Institute of Hawaii. HEMSAA is the local chapter of NAESP. The purpose of HEMSAA is to facilitate positive educational leadership and serve as a voice for elementary, middle-level principals and other members. For more information, visithttp://www.naesp.org/hawaii. ### #LoreleiAiwohi #JamieDelaCruz #HalleMaxwell #DennisObrien #GarrettYukumoto #PaulZina #EleeleElementary #IliahiElementary #ErnestBowenDeSilvaElementary #KaelepuluElementary #DavidKalakauaMiddle #MichaelSugano #StacieKunihisa #KanoelaniElementary #HawaiiNationalDistinguishedPrincipal #NDP #HEHSAA #NAESP #KeithHui #CHRISTINAKISHIMOTO #MasayukiTokioka

KAUAI — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will fund $4 million for a crucial generator upgrade project for Kauai’s Wilcox Medical Center. The Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant will ensure that Kauai’s primary medical facility, Kauai’s only Level III trauma center, is able to provide patients with life-saving power during and after disasters. “The application was prepared jointly by Wilcox Medical Center and HI-EMA and submitted to FEMA in January 2018,” said Thomas Travis, Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA). “HI-EMA is the sponsor for the project because Wilcox Medical Center is not eligible to apply directly to FEMA and this generator upgrade was evaluated as a high priority by both the County of Kauai Emergency Management Agency and HI-EMA. This project is a concrete example that the State and Counties are pursuing projects to protect and secure critical facilities such as hospitals. These types of mitigation actions are all documented in the State of Hawaii Hazard Mitigation Plan and the County All Hazard Mitigation Plans as top priority projects.” The $12.3 million project will include $4 million from FEMA, with the balance paid by the Wilcox Medical Center. The project encompasses two 30-year old, 500-kilowatt generators that could not be upgraded, and will be replaced with two 1,000 kilowatt-diesel generators with new fuel tanks, automatic transfer switches, and switch gear sets. This will increase the medical center’s power capacity and provide cost-effective, uninterrupted power to support both critical and routine hospital operations in the event of a disaster. The 72-bed hospital offers preventive care and emergency services to more than 72,000 residents and thousands of tourists each year. #wilcoxmedicalcenter #HIEMA #FEMA #FederalEmergencyManagementAgency #PreDisasterMitigationGrant #Kauai

New budget system allowed for closer scrutiny, more transparency Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – House and Senate conferees passed additional appropriations for the executive branch today, HB116 SD1 CD1. The new budget process the Legislature has been utilizing this session allowed lawmakers to pass the executive operating budget, HB2 HD1 SD1 CD1, nearly a month earlier than previous sessions and provided time for closer scrutiny and discussion about individual budget items. HB116 SD1 CD1 is an addendum to HB2. "By passing the governor's base operating budget early rather than in the dying moments of the session, we were able to engage in meaningful discussions on other critical funding requests," said Representative Sylvia Luke, chair of the House Committee on Finance. "HB116 is the result of these discussions and has led to a more efficient, transparent, and productive legislative session." HB2 HD1 SD1 CD1 that passed earlier this session allocated $16 billion in operating funds; conferees today approved an additional $10,757,811 for FY20 and $9,045,621 for FY21 in HB116 SD1 CD1. HB 116 SD1 CD1 Highlights: Department of Agriculture $79,998 to establish (1) full-time permanent business loan officer position to assist with agricultural loans and provide agricultural financial assistance. $350,000 for food safety grants in fiscal year 2020. $240,000 for agricultural development and marketing for Hawaiʻi specific agricultural surveys in fiscal year 2020. Department of Accounting and General Services $1,038,240 in fiscal year 2020 and $1,263,902 in fiscal year 2021 for cybersecurity capability enhancements by Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism $750,000 for the 2020 Census Outreach. $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 for the Festival of the Pacific Arts to be held in Honolulu. $180,294 from the Hawaiʻi Community Development Revolving fund in fiscal year 2021 for the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority for operating expenses. Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (5) full-time permanent positions and $584,000 from the public utilities commission special fund for consumer advocate for communication, utilities, and transportation services. $200,240 in fiscal year 2020 and $195,840 in fiscal year 2021 from the public utilities commission special fund to add (2) full-time permanent enforcement officer positions and operating expenses. Department of Defense $52,952 to establish (1) full-time permanent Human Resource Specialist IV. Office of the Governor $100,000 to establish (1) full-time temporary State Disaster Recovery Coordinator. $150,000 for fiscal year 2020 for protocol expenses related to events at Washington Place. Department of Human Services $20,000 in fiscal year 2020 to establish a joint outreach center in Kāneʻohe. $509,448 in fiscal year 2020 and $59,448 in fiscal year 2021 to fund (1) full-time permanent corrections program specialist II and existing juvenile justice reform programs for the In-Community Youth Programs. Department of Health $750,000 in fiscal year 2020 for family planning. Department of Land and Natural Resources $500,000 for the Hawaiʻi Association of Conservation Districts. $480,000 for lifeguard services at Kua Bay on Hawaiʻi Island. $153,000 to add (1) full-time temporary cultural resource project coordinator and operating expenses for the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. $100,000 to add (1) full-time permanent Aha Moku Advisory Council Executive Director position and operating expenses. Department of Public Safety $69,540 to establish (1) full-time permanent corrections supervisor I for Kulani Correctional Facility. $1,897,827 to add 23 full-time permanent positions and operating expenses in fiscal year 2021 for the Hoʻokipa Cottage at the Women's Community Correctional Center. $2,690,450 for Medicaid fiscal agent and pharmacy costs. $160,995 to establish (1) full-time permanent investigator V and funding for (2) permanent criminalist I positions for narcotics enforcement. Department of Transportation $147,321 in fiscal year 2020 for equipment for Kauaʻi highways. HB116 SD1 CD1 now heads for a final vote in both the Senate and House chambers. #HawaiiSenate #HawaiiHouse #Budget #HawaiiLegislature #HawaiiBudget #SylviaLuke #DonovanDelaCruz #GilbertKeithAgaran

Flickr Photo Sharing Link 1 - https://flic.kr/s/aHskTWrHFW Flickr Photo Sharing Link 2 - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmD4GJTL Flickr Photo Sharing Link 3 - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmbK7NYc HONOLULU – In an unprecedented show of unity and purpose, Hawaiʻi and other island leaders gathered today to significantly raise the profile on climate change. With scientists voicing growing alarm about rapidly changing world temperatures, sea level rise and potential displacement of populations, islands are demonstrating their leadership in finding solutions and implementing action to achieve an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable futur In addition to signing a Declaration of Commitment to Sustainability for Hawaiʻi, leaders and the public celebrated the five-year anniversary of the Aloha+ Challenge, which, along with the state's commitment to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 and signing on to the Paris Agreement, led to the United Nation's recognition of the Hawaiʻi Green Growth Local2030 Islands Hub. ** Declaration of Commitment Document As a United Nations Hub, Hawaiʻi, in collaboration with the Global Island Partnership, will advance concrete initiatives and open-data platforms, scale successful models and build educational pathways for next generation’s leaders. Hawaiʻi leaders from all branches and levels of government, along with United Nations and island representatives from the UN Global Compact Forum, Grenada, Aruba, and New Zealand, and public, private and civil society leaders – also signed the Malama Mandate, renewing their commitment to sustainability and climate priorities through island values and actions. On the eve of Earth Day and the conclusion of the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail by Hokule‘a, the final leg of the Worldwide Voyage, island leadership made the following observations: David Y. Ige, Governor, State of Hawaiʻi “This gathering of leaders shows our collective commitment to fighting global climate change. Our fight started long before today and will continue well into the future. Hawaiʻi is committed to working with island leaders from around the world to implement and track progress made. By partnering, we can scale models that advance the global sustainability model.” Scott K. Saiki, State of Hawaiʻi, Speaker of the House of Representatives: "The Legislature supports the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development designed to put the world on a path toward a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future," said House Speaker Scott K. Saiki (McCully, Kāheka, Kakaʻako, Downtown). "Over the past five years, we have worked together to pass legislation supporting sustainable solutions, including modernizing the energy grid, setting the goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2045, and enacting ratepayer protections. The Legislature remains committed to achieving our objectives in the areas of conservation, sustainability, and economic development." Ronald Kouchi, State of Hawaiʻi, President of the Senate “This marks the 5th year anniversary of the State of Hawaiʻi endorsing and supporting the Aloha+ Challenge through Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 69, that set ambitious goals of sustainability for the state by the year 2030. I am proud to say that on Kauai, the Kauai Island Utility Co-op currently uses 53% renewable energy to provide the island with electricity and hopes to be using 63% by the end of the year – well beyond the proposed 40% renewable energy use targeted by SCR69. With regard to food sustainability, Kauai’s two state run hospitals are serving Kauai produced locally sourced meals, with an eye toward expanding this program to all fifteen public schools on Kauai. Although we have made tremendous strides toward sustainability, there remains much to accomplish if we are to remain on the path to self-sufficiency.” J. Kalani English, Senate Majority Leader of the State of Hawaiʻi “Through the enactment of bold legislative measures, Hawaiʻi continues to be a global leader in addressing sustainability and climate change challenges,” said Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English (Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi and Kahoʻolawe). “Our support for the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Hawaiʻi Green Growth Local 2030 Islands Hub further builds on a history of systems-thinking and traditional knowledge. It also reinforces our commitment to the protection and sustainability of our people, communities, natural resources and economic prosperity.” Brian Schatz, U.S. Senator, Hawai‘i “The Aloha Challenge started as an idea to take our state’s values and our accomplishments and turn them into action. Today, that notion is no longer an aspiration. It’s no longer theoretical. It’s happening. And the rest of the world is paying attention, because we are setting the standard for how things should be done,” said Senator Schatz. Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Representative, Hawai‘i: “Hawai‘i is leading the change we need to make to protect our environment for future generations, and doing so through our collective commitment to the Aloha+ Challenge. The progress we are making towards making global impact is due to local action, leading with aloha for each other, our ʻāina and the world we all share. Mahalo to the Hawaiʻi Green Growth partnership, our UN Local2030 Hub, for your dedication to securing a more sustainable future for our Island Earth.” Harry Kim, Mayor, County of Hawaiʻi “Hawaiʻi, the most precious and beautiful of place and people. We are committed to join hands with partners around the world through the United Nations Local 2030 to make us a better people and stewards of this world for nā keiki.” Kirk Caldwell, Mayor, City and County of Honolulu: “Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, but government cannot tackle it alone. We need to develop global networks that feature local leaders, and the HGG United Nations Local2030 Islands Hub is a significant platform to take action and build resilient communities. The City and County of Honolulu is committed to advancing our goals of sustainability through the Aloha+ Challenge and by working with other cities and partners, we can make significant strides on our climate agenda.” Derek S.K. Kawakami, Mayor, County of Kaua‘i: “Kaua‘i like other islands around the world is feeling the impacts of climate change. Our island is already ahead of our renewable energy commitments, and the United Nations recognition through the Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Island Hub is a significant step in the right direction. We are committed to advancing the Aloha+ Challenge as our local contribution to meet global sustainability and climate goals, which is why we launched the Kaua‘i Aloha+ Challenge as a way for our communities and students to get involved. We encourage everyone to sign up and participate to make Kaua‘i better than how we found it.” Michael P. Victorino, Mayor, County of Maui: “The County of Maui is committed to achieving balanced economic, community, and environmental priorities through statewide intergovernmental collaborations with public-private partners on the Aloha+ Challenge. Our island values and the health of our communities are of utmost importance, and the new partnership with the United Nations as a Local2030 sustainability hub recognizes what Hawai‘i has to offer the world.” Celeste Connors, Executive Director, Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Islands Hub: “The Aloha+ Challenge five-year anniversary is a tribute to statewide collaboration across government, business, and civil society to build a more resilient and prosperous future for Hawai‘i, and local action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As a United Nations Local2030 Islands Hub, we can attract new resources to Hawai‘i to support our success and scale island models that can have a major impact regionally and globally.” Patricia Purcell, UN Global Compact’s Cities Programme “The United Nations is pleased to partner with the Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Islands Hub to promote island-led solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Hawai‘iʻs Aloha+ Challenge demonstrates the significance of local leadership, and serves as a model for the regions around the world with the Global Island Partnership. Through the UN-wide Local2030 initiative and Global Compact Forum, islands economies can share solutions with a vast global network of cities, companies, and partners to accelerate local action on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.” H.E. Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., President of the Republic of Palau: “The launch of the Hawai‘i Green Growth Local2030 Islands Hub is a recognition of Hawai‘i’s local SDG action through the Aloha+ Challenge and collective island leadership together with the Global Island Partnership. We will work to launch new island sustainability hubs and scale successful models Local2030 Initiative. Change an island, and you can change the world.” #GlobalGoals #LocalActionDay #UnitedNations #DeclarationofCommitmenttoSustainability #UNGlobalCompactForum #Grenada #Aruba #NewZealand #EarthDay #GovernorIge #ScottSaiki #RonaldKouchi #JKalaniEnglish #BrianSchatz #TulsiGabbard #HarryKim #KirkCaldwell #DerekKawakami #MichaelVictorino #CelesteConnors #PatriciaPurcell #HETommyRemengesau #Jr #TommyRemengesau #Palau #GreenGrowth #glennwakai #kaialiikahele #lesiharajr #donnamercadokim

A display of historical documents commemorating the 1860 visit by 77 Japanese diplomats to the Kingdom of Hawaii—the first ever visit by a Japanese delegation to the Kingdom—will be on display on the 4th floor of the Hawaii State Capitol beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2019. WHAT: Display of documents commemorating first visit by a Japanese delegation to the Kingdom of Hawaii WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2019 10:00 a.m. WHERE: 4th Floor Hawaii State Capitol The display will be part of a day-long commemoration that will include a visit to the Senate and House chambers by thirty descendants of the first Japanese diplomats to Hawai‘i, and recognition by Governor David Ige at 1:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Ceremonial Room. The meeting in March, 1860, made necessary when bad weather forced the ship carrying the delegation to stop in Honolulu for repairs and supplies, resulted in the Treaty of Amity between Japan and the Kingdom. #japanesedelegation #1860HawaiiStateCapitol #kingdomofhawaii #TreatyofAmity #HawaiiHistory #JapaneseHistory

Hawai‘i Island will be home to a new aquaculture accelerator that aims to attract startups that focus on sustainable solutions for the aquaculture industry. Solutions include innovative feed solutions, breakthrough technology in animal health, and farm and water management. The new accelerator and its associated investment fund were established by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA), the Hawai‘i Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC) and the University of Hawai‘i’s UH Ventures, LLC (UHV). After a highly competitive application process, HATCH was selected as the best candidate to operate the Hawai‘i accelerator and run the investment fund. HATCH is the world’s first sustainable aquaculture accelerator, with operations in Norway and Singapore. . The accelerator will initially be fully funded for three years and is expected to nurture three cohorts of 10 to 12 globally relevant aquaculture technology startups per year. “This effort is very much in line with our administration’s ongoing focus to build an innovation-based economy, advance the state’s commitment to sustainability and add tie-in to initiatives,” said Gov. David Ige. According to HSDC Director Karl Fooks, the global aquaculture industry is poised for a sustained period of growth and expansion. “Hawai‘i is home to both pioneering industry research efforts and commercial activities that have made significant contributions to the global industry. Through this accelerator and fund, the state will further raise its global visibility in marine technology and capitalize on the commercial opportunity in the global aquaculture industry,” Fooks said. The accelerator will be based at NELHA’s Hawai‘i Ocean Science and Technology Park (HOST Park) in Kailua-Kona on Hawai‘i ‘i Island and is expected to start its first cohort in the fall of 2019. “HOST Park is the perfect playground for innovative minds that are seeking to make a major difference in the field of aquaculture. The world class facilities at NELHA offer perfect conditions for fast prototyping and iterative innovative ideas,” said HATCH Chief Executive Officer Carsten Krome. “The accelerator is in alignment with many of our existing research and training programs at the University of Hawai‘i,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “We look forward to playing a significant role in creating a bright future in sustainable aquaculture for the state by helping to develop a skilled, knowledge-based workforce to make it flourish.” The concept for the accelerator originated as a direct result of recommendations produced by more than 100 participants at the 2017 Hawai‘i Aquaculture Industry Summit. The establishment of the joint accelerator project was made possible through initial funding provided by the Hawai‘i State Legislature and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation provided additional guidance. “Many people have come together to make this initiative a reality,” said NELHA Executive Director Gregory Barbour. “We are thrilled by the positive feedback this initiative has generated and look forward to growing the aquaculture tech industry in Hawai‘i.” Interested startups are encouraged to apply at: www.hatch.blue/apply #NELHA #NaturalEnergyLaboratoryofHawaiiAuthority #HawaiiStrategicDevelopmentCorporation #HSDC #UniversityofHawaii #aQUACULTURE #AquacultureAccelerator #HawaiiIsland #CarstenKrome #HawaiiOceanScienceandTechnologyPark #GregoryBarbour