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RECFJVED ' <br /> 11me.._°1..4Rpm gY LGIII <br /> Date... ~ : <br /> FIIJJ:E'f1 <br /> HAWAII ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATION County Coundl <br /> Main Office - P. O. Box 984, Haiku, HI 96708 - PhlFax: 808-573-0995 <br /> Certification Office - P. O. Box 263, Captain Cook, HI 96704 - Ph: toll free 877-674-4632 <br /> http://ddi.digital.netl-planet/hofa.html a-mail: hofa~aloha.net <br /> 25 August 1998 <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Council Room, Hawaii County Building <br /> 25 Aupuni Street <br /> HOFA Baard H110, HI 96720 <br /> of Directors <br /> 1997-98: <br /> Vincent Mina RE: Correspondence to Council for submission in the context of public <br /> President hearings on Mayor Yamashiro's proposal to swap Hamakua lands <br /> Maui Co-ordinator <br /> Don Heacock with Bishop Estates <br /> Vice President <br /> Kauai Coordinator <br /> Dear Council members: <br /> Linda Larish <br /> Secretary <br /> E. HI Coordinator Founded in 1993, the state-wide Hawaii Organic Farmers <br /> Steve Wilson Association (HOFA) is nearly 300 members strong and recently received <br /> Treasurer <br /> recognition from the State of Hawaii as a bona fide agricultural <br /> ximEerly Clark, Ph.D. commodity group. A large percentage of our members live on the outer <br /> Oahu Coordinator <br /> Tom Benton islands, and in particular the Island of Hawaii. We currently have several <br /> W. HI Coordinator certified organic farms in the Hamakua district and the influx of requests <br /> Roysmith for certification from growers in that area has increased significantly in the <br /> Director-at-large last few months. Therefore, our organization strongly supports expanding <br /> sustainable diversified agriculture efforts on the former sugar lands of the <br /> HOFA Certification Hamakua. <br /> Committee: <br /> Tans Datta The County's land holdings.in Hamakua represent some of the <br /> Chairman <br /> Erik Frye most suitable agricultural lands on the island and should not be "given" <br /> to Bishop Estates in return for more marginal lands elsewhere on the <br /> Eileen o~HOra Island of Hawaii. The County lands (4,423 acres) under consideration in <br /> Roysm;th Mayor Yamashiro's plan for a land swap with Bishop Estates should be <br /> Tom Renton made aVaiiable to the people of the County cf Hawaii. HOFA has already <br /> Alternate <br /> shared economic analysis with the County Council which demonstrated <br /> Andy Sarhanis <br /> Alternate that small-scale diversified agriculture already being conducted on Big <br /> Island lands -lands which also lack such infrastructure as County-supplied <br /> Diana Dahl water or roads -provides greater returns to our local economy than the <br /> Administrator returns generated by off-shore timber companies. <br /> HOFA Board We appreciate the fact that the Mayor would like to expand the <br /> of rrnsrees: County park system, but the status of numerous County parks that are in <br /> <br /> Cab Baber various stages of disrepair and renovation speaks for itself (the Hilo <br /> <br /> Chuck Boerner Bayfront Renovation Project, the 'scummy ponds' at Queen Lili'uokalani <br /> <br /> Mike Craig Park, Ahalanui County Park that has remained unimproved for over <br /> <br />