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COQUI REPORT by Mark Haunio I received the grant money from the County of Hawaii totaling $5,000 which was sent in two increments. The first increment of $2,500 was used to purchase personal protective equipments, water, and chemicals (Hydrated Lima) from BEI. We have a crew of volunteers which started spraying on the weekends only. Listed are the dates we sprayed: February 4, 11, 25, March 4, 18 and June 24. In the month of April and on, it was hard to get the spray pump due to a big demand on the pump. Reserving the pump is on a first come basis. After the first half of the grant was used up, an evaluation was sent in showing the County what was done and a breakdown of the expenses to combat the coqui frogs. I then received the second increment of $2,500. This was used for mainly the chemicals and water. The most recent spraying was on June 24 at a resident's log that had the most coquis I've ever seen. As I sprayed the coconut trees, coquis were falling from the trees 20 to 30 feet high. That was just unbelievable. Right now, spraying has come to a standstill because the USDA took all their spray pumps back and gave 10 sprayers to the County. Because the pumps that were loaned out were not taken care of, the County has decided to postpone the loaning of the spray pumps. As of this time, I am trying to get a 400 gallon spray pump to be stationed in Leilani Estates, but I am running into a lot of red tape. Meanwhile, the coquis have returned to the areas that were sprayed. TRASH CLEANUP Those dedicated individuals are the very ones still cleaning our subdivision and I thank you for all your efforts in keeping Leilani Estates free of trash. MICRONIA/ETC. Right now not much is being done about the Micronia. Hopefully we can get back on track soon. There are other things that need our attention which is the Albizia trees and they are getting out of control by overtaking our property and destroying our paved roads. Another is the Buffalo Grass on the shoulders. I'm sure you've seen them. No matter how much you cut them back, they return even faster. Last but not least, my warmest MAHALO and ALOHA to all my volunteers for giving up your time and effort for these worthy causes. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without your support. A great resource for Micronia information is at the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project (HEAR). A HOMEOWNER'S GUIDE TO COQUI CONTROL A Service of Malama O Puna FIRST, KNOW YOUR ENEMY:
SECOND, CLEAN UP YOUR ACT:
THIRD, MAKE THEM COME TO YOU:
FOURTH, STICK IT TO THEM:
COQUI FROG WORKING GROUP Coqui Frogs-A Brief Summary of Their Natural History and Non-Chemical Methods of Control
ALBIZIA TREES By Al Dettweiler These trees are fast growing, invasive and grow up to 20 feet in the first year, 45 feet in the third year and 60 feet by the end of the tenth year. The crown of an Albizia tree is broad, capable of shading over half an acre. Also, the roots of an Albizia tree may grow as much as 20 or 30 feet long and as thick as 12". These roots will grow and lift the road surface and crack and damage the road. Also, if the Albizia is close to a property line, the branches may hang over onto other property with a residence. These trees have very brittle wood and weak structure and can pose a hazard to nearby residences. If an Albizia limb falls on a home, it can cause serious damage and the property owner that has the Albizia tree may be held libel for damages. Strong winds can cause large limbs to fall or worse, the tree to fall. There are three things you can do as a property owner.
The Leilani Board of Directors (LCA) has had many reports where the new roads have Albizia roots under the new roads and causing the roads to heave in many places, mostly along Kahukai St. LCA has posted notices in the newsletter and at board meetings and the Neighborhood watch newsletter about this problem with the Albizia roots. LCA is now going to have a member of the board record all the lots that have Albizia trees that have roots impairing our roads. These lots will be photographed and the lot owner will be contacted. After 30 days of sending the lot owners a notice telling them of the problem with the Albizia trees on their property, they will receive a second notice. If LCA has not received a response from the lot owner as to what they plan to do about the trees on their property, the board will contact a contractor to either take down the trees or cut the area around the roots on the road, dig out the roots and repave that section of road. Both these options can be very costly. The board will then bill the lot owner for the contracted work done and add it to the bill with your Association dues. If after a year the lot owner has not paid for the repair, the board will place a lien on the property owner. Ninety (90) days after the lien is placed, LCA will start legal action which may include foreclosure action. If you are not a resident and wish to inquire about Albizia on your property, you may call the office, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Hawaii standard time. Jean, our office manager, will have someone from the board check your property and report back to you. The United States Department of Agriculture Forestry Service has published a brochure on Albizia trees just for the Puna subdivisions, which you can download. TREES By Sharon Nicely As a new board member, I would like to ask all homeowners and landowners to think about the trees on their properties. I am especially concerned about native Ohia trees being destroyed when clearing lots for new homes. I know a certain amount of clearing is necessary, but 1-acre lots do not need to be "flattened" to build one house. Ohia trees also are very difficult to replant and grow very slowly. Clearing the native forest also promotes the spread of "invasive" plants, such as Albizia, Cherry Guava, and Miconia. Albizia trees grow especially fast and very large, and their roots are undermining our newly paved roads in numerous places. They also fall easily and are very expensive to remove professionally. When you come to see your property and are not familiar with the vegetation on it, stop by the office and ask if a board member is available to assist you with identification of plants. Also, there are several very informative articles on the "Malama O Puna" website. Renee Siracusa of that organization will also give you a free consultation about the vegetation on your land. We truly do live in a beautiful rainforest, and the more of it that we can preserve, the better it will be for the future for all of us. Mahalo Nui Loa |
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