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rr or <br /> COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII <br /> a w x,,w <br /> RESOLUTION NO. 499 OS <br /> A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE COMMERCIAL EUCALYPTUS FORESTRY <br /> INDUSTRY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO <br /> WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE BETTER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY <br /> IMPLEMENTING SETBACKS AND/OR BUFFER ZONES WHERE EUCALYPTUS <br /> TREES BORDER RESIDENTIAL HOMES, STATE HIGHWAYS, AND COUNTY <br /> ROADS. <br /> WHEREAS, in 1994 Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE) purchased <br /> approximately 30,500 acres of former Hamakua Sugar lands along the Hamakua Coast; and <br /> WHEREAS, in 1996 KSBE leased approximately 24,000 acres of former sugaz land to <br /> Prudential Timber Investments Ina (PruTimber) for the purpose of planting eucalyptus trees to <br /> be hazvested either for export or to supply local processing facilities; and <br /> WHEREAS, PruTimber planted trees mauka and makai of State Highway 19 throughout <br /> <br /> the Districts of Hamakua, North Hilo, and Rural South Hilo, where sugar cane once flourished; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, many of the trees were planted at the edge of KSBE property lines that <br /> border residential homes, State highways and County roadways; and <br /> WHEREAS, the trees planted in 1996 have reached average heights of 100-120 feet and <br /> aze ready for harvest; and <br /> WHEREAS, due to the proximity of the highly-combustible eucalyptus trees, <br /> <br /> homeowners have expressed concerns relating to the threat of forests fires, structure fires, and <br /> constant falling of leaves and branches onto private property that creates maintenance <br /> <br /> requirements; and <br /> WHEREAS, many of our County roadways are lined with commercial eucalyptus trees <br /> <br /> on one side or in some cases both sides of the roadway, causing concern for residents that would <br /> <br /> need to exit their homes through these County roadways during a forest fire emergency; and <br /> <br />