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Page 1 of 2 <br /> Murashige, Laura <br /> From: MKEABANANA@aoLcom <br /> Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 6:10 PM ~-~U7 ~~L~L ~ ~ ~ft~1 ~ ~ <br /> To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us ~ <br /> Subject: Re Bill 51, Draft 5 , <br /> Richard Ha <br /> 421 Lama St <br /> Hilo, HI 96720 <br /> We farm 600 acres of banana and hydroponic vegetables at Pepeekeo. <br /> There are two items in Bill 51, Draft 5 that will adversely affect farmers large and small on <br /> the Hamakua coast. <br /> The first is the definition of "development" on page 9. <br /> [{~j] "Development" means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, <br /> including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, <br /> paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials <br /> Normal agricultural operations could be included under the definition of "development" and <br /> that could trigger reporting and permitting procedures not required at the present time. This <br /> will cost farmers time and money. <br /> The second area of concern is on page 25 <br /> (6) <br /> Within areas where thegrade of the natural elevation of <br /> the <br /> around surface prior to <br /> cons ruction exceeds ten oercent~fllling,grad~~and ather d ve o ment which may i°i°crease <br /> flooding or erosion hazards shall be prohibited unless a professional civil engineer licensed in <br /> the State of Hawaii certifies that the development will contain its own runoff and not increase <br /> floodine or erosion in other areas. Creation of impermeable surfaces on such slo~ne areas will <br /> be limited to no more than forty percent of the total land area of any lot or proposed new <br /> subdivision. A~measures to be implemented in order to revent or decrease run-off or erosion <br /> shall be clearr~ shown or_described on the eradin~or infrastructure construction plan. <br /> On the Hamakua coast, many slopes exceeds 10%. If farmers fall under this rule, we will not <br /> be able to cultivate large portions of our land. <br /> Also, during intense rainfall, the ground becomes saturated very quickly, sometimes in less <br /> than an hour, and the whole area takes on the characteristic of an impermeable surface as <br /> rain continues. But, it moves laterally very quickly, towards the streams and rivers. That is <br /> why the ground dries up so quickly after a rainstorm. <br /> Gomm. No. l17~i • /ZG <br /> Ref. To: ~ressaess t~ 1MF~ <br /> Ref. Date,3 <br /> <br /> 7/10/2007 <br /> <br />