Journeyman mason Peter Keka restores a kuapā by carefully selecting and fitting stones in place at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park, one of the recipients of stimulus funds. Courtesy photo

Federal recovery funds flow
to Hawaiian projects

By Liza Simon / Ka Wai Ola Loa

Native Hawaiian health and Hawaiian cultural site restoration projects have been named as recipients of stimulus funds now flowing to Hawai'i following February's Congressional approval of the Obama administration's economic recovery plan worth some $787 billion. The federal money is being funneled to all states through federal grant programs and distributed by local government agencies.

Under the multi-faceted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, grant awards must be used to boost enterprise and job creation in the face of an economic crisis comparable to the Great Depression.

"The guidelines have been very specific that the funding is for increasing economic activity and not for merely keeping an organization afloat," said David Peters of the Ho'ōla Lāhui Hawai'i, Kaua'i's Native Hawaiian Healthcare System, which will be using its award of $174,000 to extend clinic hours and hire an additional physician and a part-time pharmacist. Peters said the money is equivalent to approximately 1.2% of Ho'ōla Lāhui Hawai'i's annual operating budget that supports services for an estimated 2,100 low-income and mainly Native Hawaiian residents in its clinics and many more residents in its health education programs on Kaua'i.

Nationwide, the stimulus funds tabbed specifically for healthcare total $14.7 billion and are being distributed to the states by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), according to its healthcare priorities. DHHS last month announced that Ho'ōla Lāhui Hawai'i would receive a share of the stimulus funding through its membership in the Hawai'i Primary Care Association and also announced direct funding for the four other island-county Native Hawaiian Healthcare Systems: $129,239 to Ke Ola Mamo (O'ahu), $110,430 to Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Ōiwi (Hawai'i Island), $111,385 to Nā Pu'uwai (Moloka'i) and $109,085 to Hui No Ke Ola Pono (Maui).

"Stimulus money supports Native Hawaiian Healthcare Systems with a preventive approach that focuses on education and outreach to stop risky behaviors such as smoking or poor nutrition habits that cause greater health difficulties if allowed to continue," said Kim Birnie of Papa Ola Lokahi, the Native Hawaiian health advocacy organization that works with the federally funded NHHCS. Birnie added that all the systems are hailing the stimulus money as a way of helping to restore budgets that were cut back in August.

Meanwhile, in selecting Hawai'i parks to receive a share of the $7.2 billion in stimulus funds appropriated for environmental purposes, the National Park Service (NPS) has named several projects involving the preservation of Hawaiian cultural resources. On the Kona side of Hawai'i Island, a rich corridor of ancient Hawaiian sites, Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau has been designated to receive $61,000 to hire an archeological team for assessing the damage to Ki'ilae Archaeological Village from the severe rains in 2007, while Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park will receive $20,000 to grade and re-gravel two miles of unpaved roads leading to an ancient Hawaiian fishpond considered important during the rule of Kamehameha I.

"When the money became available, we submitted a list of projects that met the funding requirements of being shovel-ready and long-standing priorities for us in Hawai'i," said Frank Hays, director of NPS in Hawai'i. Hays added, "The (funding) is incredibly helpful, given that Hawai'i's land environment is the most isolated on earth and our cultural and natural resources are in great need of added protection.

Other stimulus fund awards announced last month for Hawai'i parks are $1.3m to Haleakalā National Park (Maui), $7.8m to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai'i Island), and $536,000 to Kalaupapa National Historical Park (Moloka'i).

Following the Republican minority's unsuccessful attempt to block the stimulus plan legislation, provisions have been made to ensure accountability in the spending of stimulus money. Opponents of the plan raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the taxpayer funded bank bailout program that gave out huge bonuses to financial institution executives. But those who signed off on the recovery plan say it has impressive transparency requirements, including detailed stipulations for project use and an on-line project spending and tracking web-site which will carry weekly updates from all the federal agencies involved in the distribution of stimulus funds.

As federal agencies and the state administration continue to finalize decisions on the stimulus package funding, the scope of expected benefits for Hawai'i is widening and includes the following announcements related to recovery money grants and awards statewide:

• $60 million for U.S. Army construction projects
  
  
• $10.5 for U.S. Fish and Wildlife projects
  
  
• $5 million for operations and maintenance repairs
  
  
• $7.4 million to help care for children and improve vaccine program

For more information on the flow of stimulus package funds directed to Hawai'i, go to recovery.gov.