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OS/al/2007 08:25 FAX 500 298 i501 RIVER PARR CTR EXEC STES GiJO) Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni St., Suite 209 i:':u~ ~i~`~' 7 r Hilo, Hawaii 96720 My siblings and I grew up at Punalu'u acid were raised iricttre lifestyle of my '~ci c na 7.1, harvesting food from the moans and the sins and practicing many native Hawaiisa:; c. a Lh..r rl traditions. I was taught by my kupuna to respect our fishing grounds and sacred burial s l: s c ~t Punalu'u, and to malama our cultural practices so that I could then teach my keiki. rlce ssa~e values and traditions. The respect for nature and the sins instilled in me by my k7~q,r~ na aad ohana helped shaped me into the person I am today-one who understands that I h av~ ~ n ox 3i obligation to act responsibly and to be a good steward of our natural resources aria a .a: eta.lpar of the land. As a habitat for a multitude of animal and plant life, punalu'u is not only a s.a 'u h eve t fbr the many different species-it is where life begins and is sustained. I can recall as .a y ru: nf; swimming along side the honu' ea. These occasions were not very common. Nor~r ~ Prue a5 years later, l am encouraged to see more honu' ea than ever before; ostensibly be,re. ~ se: c f protection afforded to them and to their natural habitat in recent years. I envision proposed development, as seen on Oahu and in Kona, adversel.; a'' e:c ti rcE; :tie fragile eco-system of Punalu'u and its adjacent areas unless we, at the very least, i~rr ; a::~ ti e xhat is currently the status quo. We have all heard the opinions of the many environmecula. a p 2fl s ash paint a grim picture of the irreversible damage that would befall the eco-system c:~l'' I l c: ;c r:i x; ahupua'a of Punalu'u if the area is developed with condominiums, hotels, and otl;f:r reseal structures. The increased influx of human traffic into Punalu'u created by such d~ c 1~;; p Wont would inevitably impact not only the eco-system, but would also eliminate oppo:°'~. c iti. fux ]::r: oiwi to continue in the cultural practices and traditions of our ancestors. It is lny hope that my own children will have the same opportunities I had t;r c:~ri n; up to experience alt that Punalu'u has given me. Development at Punalu'u and the ahrq;; ca',e ~f Punalu'u would all but eliminate these opportunities for my ohana and other area r u.ic ena:.. Along with my ohana, I urge the Ilawai'i County Council to pass the "Ke:~lac:l. ul :a':ar..oa Resolution" so that the first step towards purchasing the entire ahupua'a of Pm,r.C.u ~ c c: a ~ 1~; accomplished. - Peter Bangay, Jr., Esq. Punalu'u Property Owner