Kailua Bay Advisory Council

Strategic Plan

Version 1.0

Table of Contents

I. Purpose (Align page # refs)1

II. Background 1

III. Mission 2

IV. Value Statement 2

V. Work to Date 3

VI. Determine Effective Mitigation Measures 6

VII. Performance Measures 7

VIII. Resources Available to KBAC 7

IX. Budget Policy 7

X. General Processes and Procedures for KBAC 7

A. Overview 7

B. Council member Duties, Composition, Standards, and Terms. 8

C. Acting Chair’s Duties and Responsibilities. 9

D. Executive Director’s Duties and Responsibilities. 9

E. Volunteer Water Quality Monitor Program Administrator Duties and Responsibilities. 10

F. Center for Sustainable Future (CSF) Duties and Responsibilities. 11

G. Duties of the Parties to the Consent Decree 11

H. Decision Making: 11

I. Information Disclosure 12

J. Meetings 12

K. Miscellaneous 13

DRAFT

Kailua Bay Advisory Council

Strategic / Infrastructure Plan

Version 1.0

I. PURPOSE

This is the Strategic Plan for the Kailua Bay Advisory Council (KBAC). This planIt outlines the background that created this entity; and states its mission and value statement developed by the KBAC. It also enumerates the resources available to the KBAC, the KBAC budget policy; the general procedures and processes for the functions of the KBAC, including the duties and responsibilities of the parties to the Consent Decree, Council membersCouncilmembersCouncil members, Acting Chair, Executive Director, Volunteer Water Quality Monitor Program Coordinator, the Center for a Sustainable Future, and other contractors; the decisondecision making policy for the KBAC, and meeting protocol. When questions arise regarding protocol and policy, this document will serve as the template to guide and direct the KBAC. This document conforms to the directions in the Consent Decree discussed below. KBAC is developing a Master Plan that will delineate the long- and short termshort-term tasks for the organization.

II. BACKGROUND

On October 17, 1995, the parties in Save Our Bays and Beaches et al. v.City and County of Honolulu, Federal Civil No. 92-00263, entered into a Consent Decree to resolve the litigation brought by four groups against the City and County of Honolulu to address the lack of compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The Consent Decree established the Kailua Bay Advisory Council (KBAC). KBAC is comprised of eight members, four member are selected the plaintiff organizations and four members are selected by the City and County of Honolulu. Parties may elect to sit on the KBAC, thus, need not appoint a representative.

The Consent Decree outlines KBAC’s goals and objectives:

§ to study nonpoint sources of pollution in the Kailua, Kane‘ohe, and Waimanalo watershed areas;

§ to determine effective measures to mitigate such pollution, to the maximum extent practical;

§ to oversee the implementation of measures to mitigate such pollution as may be adopted by decision of the Council; and

§ to oversee a volunteer water quality monitoring effort.

These objectives are to be fulfilled through three programs: the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring (VWQM) Program, the the Technical Report Program, and an Implementation Program. In addition to the creation of KBAC, the Consent Decree allots funding for each of these three components: $300,000 for the VWQM Program, another $300,000 for the Technical Report Program, $1.5 million for the Implementation Program, and an additional $1 million: $.5 that potentially available for any of the three components and $.5 for the Implementation Program.

KBAC’s strength rests with its Council and its organizational infrastructure as a private organization. With its small size and private standing, KBAC can focus its efforts and streamline its actions to facilitate the goals and objectives of the Consent Decree. KBAC also will remain open to refining its processes to ensure access to the information it obtains about the watershed, to provide physical improvements, and to foster stewardship opportunities throughout the watershed that improve water quality.

III. MISSION

Should probably include a reference up front here acknowledging that the primary mission of KBAC is to accomplishprimary mission is to implement the goals and objectives of the Consent DecreeDecree.

then lead into the rest of the paragraph.

KBAC’s missiwill accomplish its mission on byis to adopting an integrated approach to improveing water quality for the Ko‘olaupoko watershed area. This integrated approach incorporates the concept of ahupua‘a into its technical, volunteer water quality monitoring, and the implementation programs. The approach reflects Hawai‘i’s unique island culture and physical surroundings, all the while recognizing the concept of ahupua‘a as a resource management unit. Ahupua‘a are units similar to watershed or drainage basins. In ancient times, this unit allowed a growing native population to survive on limited resources and included the forests, kula land, taro lo‘i, nearshore waters, and reef areas. Conventionally, an ahupua’a represents “a land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea.” (See Pukui, M.K., and Elbert, S. H., 1986) In certain areas, one ahupua‘a may include several drainage basins or watersheds, with boundaries differing from those of the watersheds. Ko‘olaupoko watershed areas included Waimanalo, Kailua, and Kane‘ohe.

Ko‘olaupoko watershed, comprised of the areas of Kane‘ohe, Kailua, and Waimanalo, is a system impacted directly and indirectly by both human activities and natural geology. Pollution includes litter or open dumping, stream bank erosion, and runoff. KBAC intends to help address a range of these problems within the resources provided.

IV. VALUE STATEMENT

KBAC values knowledge and desires to:

· build consensus among itself and within the community;;

· serve as a conduit, building partnerships among government agencies, businesses, civic and community groups, and individuals;

· collaborate and coordinate with potential partners;

· leverage information that can address nonpoint source pollution in Ko‘olaupoko;

· provide relevant watershed information to interested parties in a fair, unbiased manner that promotes constructive mechanisms for the improvement of water quality;;

· distribute information in timely, user-friendly, and cost-effective ways;

· facilitate watershed-wide participation, pooling and mobilizing the resources from the various government agencies, businesses, land owners, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and individuals to collectively address nonpoint source pollution;

· support integrated approaches to achieve measurable results that address nonpoint source pollution;.

· implement performance measures in its contracts for services;

· have a commitment to long-term and sustainable commitment measures that address to addressing nonpoint source pollution;.

· contribute to the building of capacity for individuals or organizations to become stewards for Ko‘olaupoko watershed areas;.

· promote openness and inclusiveness that foster sharing technical information, knowledge and databases for collaborative water quality improvement efforts in Ko‘olaupoko communities;.

· promote constructive interactions with individuals, groups. or entities with interests that foster addressing water quality problems in Ko‘olaupoko;.

· promote the use of world wide web for accessing KBAC information to minimize the administrative costs;.

· provide a comprehensive mechanism for sharing knowledge and information with the public, such as:

§ the world wide web;

§ library reference folders;

§ KBAC office hours;

§ KBAC newsletters;

§ KBAC sponsored workshops;

§ Networking with KBAC members, volunteers, and contractors;

§ KBAC’s volunteer work events;

§ quarterly (at a minimum) public meetings; and and

§ events and articles documented by mass media; and.

· In the past, we have talked about the idea of what KBAC wants to leave as it's legacy. I'd like to include a thought here, of the continuity of effort that KBAC will create and seek to have perpetuated into the future (with or without something we call KBAC. (That is, after KBAC has fully met the spirit and intent of the Consent Decree). Don't need to be too specific, I guess. I think we'd all like to think that whatever we do will not die if/when KBAC doesfoster the creation of / create a permanent entity that can continue to serve the purpose of KBAC upon its fulfillment of the Consent decree.

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V. WORK TO DATE

In performing the tasks to meet its objectives, KBAC has studied nonpoint source pollution in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed through small grants program, pilot projects, and participation in other watershed management initiatives in Hawai‘i. Based on the studies and observations, KBAC has determined that the effort needs community-based approaches to address the problems of nonpoint pollution. KBAC also recognizes that effective measures that can mitigate nonpoint source pollution will require a combination of social, cultural, political, and legal efforts. KBAC will be adopting various themes from the Final Technical Report Program due to be completed in February, 2001, that will foster these combined approaches to improve the water quality in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed.

KBAC conducted the following studies with the assistance of outside consultants. This information has served as the basis for KBAC’s strategy.

Watershed Review Project, November, 1997. This project provided an inventory of the existing studies that had been done in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed. The report is a database of all the studies. It provides a valuable source of information on government and other work in the watershed, and a starting point for an overview of work done in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed.

Preliminary Problem Identification Report, December 1998. This study was based upon broad community and public input through personal interviews and workshops. The consultant conducted his research by inspecting numerous sites within the watershed, identifying problems area, including soil erosion, land use practices, stream bank erosion, litter and illegal dumping control and pathogenic organisms. The report noted that solutions will require community involvement, partnerships, and long-term commitments that can increase the awareness of the source and effects of nonpoint source pollution. The study concludes that to improve water quality and to address nonpoint source pollution, it will require changes both in land management and in human behavior.

The report also identified hot spots: sedimentation in Enchanted Lake, algal blooms in the nearshore waters of Waimanalo, and urban activities alongside of Kane‘ohe Streams. The report further noted that to implementimplementation of mitigation measures at these sites will require extensive resources, as well as partnerships among government, businesses and community groups.

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program. According to the Consent Decree, the KBAC is authorized to:

...retain a Program Administrator to design and administer, in consultation with the Council, a Volunteer Water Quality Testing program (‘Program’) that will monitor water quality in areas within the Kailua/Kane‘ohe/Waimanalo watersheds to be determined by the Council, including, but not limited to, the streams /canals contributing to Kailua/Kane‘ohe/Waimanalo Bays. . . .

including the near-shore and shoreline areas of the same and any other areas deemed appropriate by the Council.

The Consent Decree also directs the Program Administrator to participate in and achieve five major program goals:

1. recruit and train members of the general public to establish a volunteer water quality-monitoring program to sample streams and water areas identified by the Council and the Program Administrator, in consultation with such persons, as the Council may deem advisable;

2. participate in any workshops as requested by the Council;

2. provide information and assistance to the consultants in the Technical Program, if so requested by the council;

3. coordinate and encourage any measures that can be implemented to engage volunteers in community activities to keep stream and waters clean, such as storm drain stenciling, trash removal from streams, and native revegetation programs for stream banks; and

5. develop public education programs for pollution prevention

The following projects have been fostering these goals.

Stream Mapping Project Using GIS (Geographic Information System) and GPS (Geographic Positioning System) technology which it purchased, KBAC has hired out the mapping of the stream areas in Ko‘olaupoko and documenting water quality features for educational and informative purposes. Additionally, a partnership was established with Windward Community College (WCC) that produced GIS data that is currently housed at WCC’s Hoa‘aina Remote Sensing/Geographic Information System (GIS) Center. The database is available to the public via the Internet and serves as a basis for future stream restoration efforts and projects intended to mitigate the impact of nonpoint pollution in the region.

Ko‘olaupoko Water Quality Assessment Project This is project is being negotiated in the Fall 2000 to develop meaningful water quality monitoring data. The scope is intended to be a watershed-wide inventory and assessment that will assess conditions and trends of nonpoint source pollution impacts. There are five general purposes to be achieved:

1. Ddefine present watershed conditions;

2. cCharacterize existing and emerging problems by type, magnitude and geographic extent;

3. pProvide information to help design strategies to reduce, control and manage nonpoint source pollution;

4. pProvide information for evaluating the effectiveness of current and subsequent reduction, control and management strategies; and

5. rReveal trends in watershed-wide water quality.

Literature Survey: The above project also includes a literature survey on water quality issues of Ko‘olaupoko. Additional effort will be made to annotate the literature, integrate previous monitoring efforts or random sample analysis into a coherent understanding of the effect of the chosen parameters on the water quality in Ko‘olaupoko.

Interim Technical Report, March,March 1999. This report using the preliminary problem identification from above work,work further report identified certain implementation measures for early action and areas that will need additional investigation. KBAC declined to proceed with the proposals presented by the report, wanting a more realistic timeline and clearer performance measures in order to attain the goals and objectives of the Consent Decree.

Small Grants Program. The need for community involvement was the overriding point identified in the Interim Technical Report. It is considered an essential element to achieve water quality improvement to overcome nonpoint source pollution. Thus, KBAC initiated ten small projects to engage broader community participation in water quality improvement projects. The KBAC suspended this program after recognizing the need for service-delivery mechanisms that can work closely with the community.

Using a service–delivery model, KBAC intends to provide support for getting community projects off the ground. The support could include such items as purchasing equipment, providing refreshments, recognizing volunteers, and training for community participants to account for expenses and to provide accurate documentation. Using this model, KBAC intends to engage volunteers who will do the work.

Three Pilot Projects. KBAC’s search to better understand the depth and the dynamics needed to address nonpoint source pollution resulted in considering three pilot project. The effort started in May 1999, using the recommendations of its technical consultant. Two of the three projects were suspended pending the development of a contracting protocol; the third project has been awarded to Dr. Maqsx Alam at the University of Hawai‘i who is presently sampling sites in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed using a new technology that seeks the DNA structure of organisms, and usinges that data as biological indicators of their presences in a particular eco-system in the Ko‘olaupoko watershed.

Note: At this point, I'm not comfortable with my knowledge of Max's contract performance. What's the status of Max's work? What is the timeline for his contract performance? What results may we anticipate? How much have we spent so far and what do we have?

Note: Also, what's the legal and intended status of the contract we signed with the Ahupuaa Action Alliance? They/we more or less (informally) suspended the contract performance while in litigation with the Waimanalo bunch. So now……?

Other Perspectives on Nonpoint Source Pollution. KBAC members and its consultants have participated in various regional efforts concerning nonpoint source pollution, including the:

· Total Maximum Discharge Loading study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);

· Unified Watershed Assessment and the Clean Water Act Section 319 grant program;

· Department of Land and Natural Resource, Ko‘olau Mountain Watershed Management program;

· Board of Water Supply’s Water Management efforts; and

· Ala Wai Watershed Association.

· These efforts show that it is more difficult than anticipated to measure the success of any given program based on what actually happens in a watershed as a result of a specific activity.

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VI. DETERMINE EFFECTIVE MITIGATIONATIVE MEASURES

KBAC recognizes that effective mitigationive measures need to include:

· education,

· changes in land management practices,

· building partnerships, and

· legislative and enforcement actions.

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Technical solutions will also need to account for social, cultural, political, and legal considerations.

VII. PERFORMANCE MEASUURESRES

KBAC intends to use a comprehensive, inclusive, and consistent implementation approach for its performance measures. To achieve the goals and objectives of the Consent Decree, KBAC is developing performance measures to achieve measurable success for its programs. These measures reflect the essential elements KBAC will focus on to address nonpoint source pollution. Other performance measures may be integrated into KBAC’s programs, as it accumulates information.

VIII. RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO KBAC

Resources available to KBAC include the:

· funding for its three program components;

· leadership and collective wisdom of its 8-member Council;

· diversity and kinship of the KBAC council membersCouncilmembers to the Ko‘olaupoko watershed areas;

· dedication of KBAC council membersCouncilmembers shown in their ongoing effort to create practical tools to address nonpoint pollution;

· it is a unique force in the region;

· work of KBAC’s contractors, partners, and collaborative efforts by entities and individuals who share a common vision and values with KBAC;

· funding mechanism that will allow s KBAC to act quickly and to connect performance measures and program allocations into its accounting processes;

· timely recording and reallocation, as appropriate, of KBAC expenditures; and

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