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V <br />Kona Soil and Water Conservation District � � <br />Ple se9r��a �ii i%s�r���sa Loop #101 $ Kealakekua, HI 96750 $ (808) 339-9042 <br />https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2015/09/18/video-kona-home-flooded- <br />twice-in-two-weeks/ <br />One way to prepare for flooding events is to minimize the creation of hardscapes. Once <br />hardscapes have been created, they never go back to being landscapes. This is just a plain and <br />simple fact of urban living. <br />When it comes to green spaces available for public use in the local Kona area, they're far and <br />few in between. Creating this park will provide residents with a place where they can take part <br />in nature, help plant native trees and plants, have learning adventures, participate in healthy <br />lifestyle activities, etc. <br />Opportunities for the Hawaii County to provide spaces for well-being and outdoor activities to <br />our community are rare now and will become even more rare as time moves forward. <br />Converting the two parcels referenced above into a "Kona Floodway Park" that has been <br />created with riparian buffer areas is likely to increase the amount of water absorption - even <br />more so when compared to the vegetation that is there now. <br />As suggested in a letter from our chairman "Implementation of riparian buffers and engineered <br />infiltration basins, along with designing and integrating a native food forest could amplify these <br />benefits even further. <br />These parcels are traversed by flood corridors across both the northern and southern portions <br />of the property and currently function to infiltrate stormwater, thus recharging aquifers, <br />reducing sedimentation of reefs and pollution of coastal water. These are just some of the <br />ecological benefits this land can offer, benefits that will disappear forever if the land is <br />developed." <br />When we consider climate change, and the atmosphere's ability to hold greater and greater <br />volumes of water, we can see from world events what happens when the atmosphere decides <br />to release that water. Hawai'i island is not immune from the devastating events we have seen <br />around the world, and creating riparian forest areas will help address this increase in rainfall. <br />Thank you for your time, and hearing our voice of concern. <br />Very indest regards, BOARD OF DIRECTORS <br />4- -GR9d HENDRICKSON $ KEU`IKANOE MAHI t STEVE FOELBER $ MARK PETERSEN <br />onservationist Assistant �p gy <br />Kona Soil an(f�1 8WPC7 vdtF6H1%ffi&1vA1,I DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPNWT <br />