How has Hawaii Volcanoes National Park been affected by the pandemic?

The park closed during Gov. David Ige’s stay-at-home order. Since summer, we’ve implemented a phased reopening of outdoor areas. Currently, all trails and backcountry areas that were open prior to the pandemic have reopened. The one exception is Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube), which will reopen soon.

Posted signs remind folks to social distance, wear masks, keep to small groups and clean their hands. Our entrance station stats show a big drop in visitation. January visitation was down 63% from a year ago.

The 2018 Kilauea eruption touched off large-scale geological change at the park. How has it affected facilities and public access?

Hulihia is the Hawaiian word for great upheaval. The 2018 eruption and summit collapse at Kilauea was hulihia. The Puu Oo vent in the East Rift Zone emptied its lava, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck and the lava lake that had been in Halemaumau for a decade drained out of sight, triggering numerous rock falls. Large plumes of gas, dust and ash drifted down on communities. Thousands of earthquakes rattled the park and surrounding areas.

We closed the majority of the park for 134 days. During this time, significant cracks and holes developed on Highway 11 near the park entrance. Other roads, trails and overlooks were damaged. Due to their close proximity to Halemaumau, Jaggar Museum and the main U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS HVO) building were damaged and remain closed. Rebuilding is not feasible. The area continues to settle, and there is potential for significant earth movement recurring there in the future.

However, most areas that were closed due to the 2018 eruptive events are open again, and most roads and trails have been repaired. The National Park Service and USGS are working with an engineering firm to develop options for relocating or replacing displaced operations of USGS HVO and Jaggar Museum. During the summer, we received public input and are now working on a proposed action that we will share with the public, and seek additional input on, as part of the environmental analysis process.

In 2020, a federal court ordered the Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt limits on air tours above 23 national parks (Hawaii Volcanoes included) within two years. How’s that effort going?

The National Park Service is working with FAA, the lead agency, to move forward with an Air Tour Management Plan for this park. We are reviewing all the past information from previous planning efforts and gathering data that was collected since 2012 to inform the development of the plan. During this process a determination will be made on the number of air tours that would be allowed to fly over the park.

Since starting as permanent superintendent in December, what are your short-term and long-term priorities?

In addition to the planning efforts already mentioned, we’re addressing long-standing deferred maintenance on facilities. This includes buildings, parking lots, viewing areas, fences, roads, trails and water systems. We have the largest public water catchment system in the state that serves all our visitors, employees and partners. A lot of the infrastructure is over 50 years old and needs to be replaced and upgraded. The Great American Outdoors Act provides an opportunity for parks to address some of these issues.

We work with many agencies, nonprofits, kupuna and community groups. We will continue to strengthen and foster these relationships as well as develop new ones with the goal of improving stewardship of the park and recognizing the park’s relevance to the surrounding communities.

Also, we need to better prepare ourselves for the impacts from climate change.

I just read a draft research paper about predicted increases in temperature and decreases in rainfall across the park. The results were sobering and underscore the importance of implementing actions that will help our native species, landscapes and park facilities be more resilient in the face of these changes. (The park, which rises from sea level to an elevation of 13,677 feet, includes seven ecological zones and is home to dozens of endangered species, including the hawksbill turtle, Hawaiian petrel and the Kau silversword.)

Your 25-year career in the Park Service started with a job as a biological technician at Hawaii Volcanoes. What do you find most enjoyable or rewarding about your work?

I enjoy hiking and being in nature so the National Park Service was a good fit. Being in Hawaii Volcanoes gives me the opportunity to stay connected to my local roots while having the privilege to care for a very special place. I get to work with amazing, knowledgeable and skilled people who are passionate about protecting park resources and providing opportunities to connect people to those special places.

THE BIO FILE

>> Title: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park superintendent.

>> Professional: Previously, acting superintendent at Hawaii Volcanoes other national parks and historical parks in Hawaii. Also, served as Hawaii Volcanoes park botanist, and chief of natural resource management.

>> Personal: Born and raised in Honolulu; mother is from Hilo so would visit there regularly. “My wonderful husband Peter reminds me there’s a world outside of work to live and pay attention to.”

>> Education: Master’s degree in chemistry, Stanford University; Ph.D. in botany, University of Hawaii-Manoa.

>> One more thing: “As a child I was fascinated with the TV series ‘Kung Fu.’ The protagonist Kwai Chang Caine was one of the few ‘cool Asians’ on TV in the early ‘70s. Each episode left you with words to live by. One phrase: ‘Trust, but expect the unexpected’ really stuck with me. It captures the optimism that has carried me through life, but also the awareness that one needs to prepare for the unexpected curveballs that life can throw your way!”