COM 0176.097 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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'1'0: Honorable Peter Hoffman, Chairperson and members of the Hawaii County Council From: John C. Cross Date: June 1, 2007 Testimony in opposition to Bi1151, (Draft 3), Proposed amendment to Chapter 27 Chairmaa Hoffman and Members of the Hawaii County Council: My Hanle is John C. Cross, I was bom and raised in Hilo, and have worked much of my queer managing land assets in North Hilo, South Hilo, Puna and Ka'u. i have a farm and res=dence in Hakalau. In terms or earth years I have experienced a little over 50 trips around the sun, however, in terms or 100 year/ 24 hour event storms I must be well over three hundred yeazs old! Anyone remember February 1979, how about March 1982, and oi' ~,ourse November 2000. I sl,eak to you today as a farmer and as a former plantation manager. I am familiar with th.e Land, geology, stream and river flows of East Hawaii. I have also witnessed several 24 hour event storms. My comments may be more appropriate for east Hawaii and may Hat necessarily apply to the other side of this island continent we live on. The intentions of Bi1151 are admirable... you are trying to prevent property damage and protect life and Iimb from flooding; However the mechanics of how to do that writhin the bill are impossible to achieve and if implemented would effectively kill any man induced activity on agricultural zoned lands. I especially have an issue over the 10% slope/20% land area subsection. It seems to have been composed without much science behind it. It also mentions not disturbing "natural protective barriers". W e live an an island and a vast majority of our lands are 10% slope or greater. When I lock at "flat" land for farming I usually have to tilt my head on angle to see how flat it is in the mauka-makai direction. What is more important is to look at the undulation in the land across slope or what could be described as Hilo-Hamakua or North-South. In this way you see the many undulations in the cross slope and various flow patterns that you as a famaer need to contend with. The sugar plantations installed a vast network of diversion channels, conservation ditches, and in-field grassed waterways. All these in order to bring water from the fields across slope to the river gulches that are able to handle vast amounts of storm waters. The NRCS or Soil Conservation Service has been especially helpful in designing these flood water systems for the plantations and now for the many individual farmstead owners. I would ]ike to state that the conservation ditches and other measures designed by the NIZ.CS are VERY EFFECTIVE in reducing offsite runoff and damage from intense rain~all storm events. Comm. No, ' •-q-7sr Ref. Tot~~ay7~ Ref. Oate ~~~"T~Zp01~977~-