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From: Knowles, Jeff - Kealakekua, Hi [Jeff.Knowles@h+~usdaj~ov], ,;i 1 (1 i. <br /> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 1:25 PM ,CL . <br /> To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us <br /> Subject: General Plan <br /> As the office manager for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation <br /> Service in the Kona District, I wanted to provide the following comments <br /> regarding the County's general plan. <br /> 1) The Fooodways in the Kona District are not mapped above 1500'-1800'. <br /> Any development above these elevations are not subject to the "No <br /> building in floodways, because we do not know where the floodways are. I <br /> believe that developers/landowners are inadvertantly changing natural <br /> floodways. Drainage ways in many cases are so subtle that you can't <br /> recognize them without a complete topographic survey at the 2 foot <br /> elevation. I would recommend that regulations be put in place that <br /> require a complete topographic survey that provides a 2 foot topographic <br /> map of the site. This detail would show where water is entering/existing <br /> the property. I believe a county ordinance requiring this and that the <br /> development would not change where water is leaving the property would <br /> help to eliviate future flood damage. <br /> 2) We have thousands of acres of native forest land in the District that <br /> is mapped Ag lands. When a five acre parcel is bought by a landowner <br /> there is nothing preventing them from dozing down the entire forest. t <br /> believe, the native forest in Kona provides the water source for the <br /> District through rainfall. Continued destruction of our native forest <br /> <br /> will undoubtly have long term negative impacts on the water supply in <br /> <br /> the Kona District. Is it possible that these lands be rezoned or if not, <br /> <br /> can we develop a County ordinace stating that at least 50% of the forest <br /> must be saved? <br /> <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to comment. <br /> <br /> Jeff Knowles <br /> Comm. No. j-•~ <br /> Ref. To: Preseot~d <br /> 1 Ref. Date <br /> <br />