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ou~~ui nn~ii ruiiua, ruaiiu oappun 101 rniimu a rage t 1 Ul JU Babette Colorado/Discovery Harbour Posted By: Danny Miller Date Posted: 07 June 2007 at 10:59pm The jobs that we feel can be created by protecting our natural resources in Ka'u can be funded by several sources. But first, it is important to note that not all of the jobs will start on day one and the facilities for these jobs will not be built within the 150 acre new Punaluu Park being considered by the county for purchase. The 150 acres will be zoned as conservation, so the infrastructure for these new jobs will be built outside the park and throughout Ka` u. First. imagine a Cultural and Visitors Center with an open-air marketplace built near the Hwy above Punaluu, that would be designed as open air "pavilions that blend into the natural environment and built using pre- contact Hawaiian Style archetecture and design. This would serve as place to educate visitors about the natural history or Punalu' u and Yes, funding would have to be raised to create this center, but once it is up and running it would pay for itself through entry fees to the Visitors Center and the proceeds from products sold there to visitors. Today over 300,000 people come to Punalu" u. So If this many people came to the visitors center and paid an entrance fee of $5.00 and say spent $20 ea. on food and gift items, this would gernerate $7.5 MILLION dollars. Then imagine a second visitors and cultural like this near Sout Point generating more jobs and income. Second, imagine if we started several tour companies in Ka" u to take visitors to areas and teach them exciting things about the culture and environment. This alone would generate jobs for our youth as educators and guides. Then imagine the new restraunts. gift shops and small hotels that would pop to serve these visitors and the visitors to the park. Third, we believe the Tour Bus Companies and all Commercial Tour Companies should pay a fee to go towards maintaining the park, since they are charging each passenger a fee and then using the park's facilities. (This is normal paractice). According to our survey, over 100,000 of the annual visitors to Punaluu came via Bus and Vans. If we asked the tour companies to Pay a impact fee of $5 per person that would raise an additional $500,000 per year. This could help pay the salary of the new park employees. Finally, and we think this wiN generate more jobs and more funding than anyother part is the education programs that could be set up throughout Ka' u. For instance, this summer, Earth Watch is putting about $50,000 into the community through a 6 week summer orogram in Pahala on Plantation archeology. And this is helping to create iobs for housekeeping, guides aTuTeducators. So Imagine doing 20-visitor http;//www.southpointhawaii.com/torum/printer Mendlyjosts.asp?FID-=21~TID=207 7/5/2007