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<br /> w <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ? An approved site visitation plan should be developed to enable the Commission to view <br /> and better evaluate properties prior to preparation of Prioritized List. <br /> ? The Commission would like to encourage the Mayor and the Hawaii County Council to <br /> request of the Commission and Property Manager clarification or more information, as <br /> may be needed prior to any recommended purchase actions, on the property listings. <br /> ? The Commission and the public are concerned that purchase of property alone should not <br /> be the only goal of this program. Active management including maintenance and <br /> enforcement needs must be addressed to ensure proper care and protection of natural and <br /> cultural resources on the properties. Funding sources need to be identified. <br /> ? The Commission has received comments from the public that public access routes in <br /> some areas are obstructed by adjoining landowners to discourage public use. The County <br /> and State should resolve these problems when they are reported by the public. <br /> ? The Commission recommends that the County should generate a comprehensive <br /> inventory of all "old government" roads and trails so these can be identified to the public <br /> r, and used by the public as may be deemed appropriate. <br /> <br /> Acquisition and Management Concerns <br /> <br /> Pursuant to Section 2-217 of the Hawaii County Code, this Commission's duties and <br /> responsibilities include exploring additional methods of funding land acquisition (see Appendix <br /> 10), making recommendations to the Mayor, and giving emphasis to land acquisitions where the <br /> County's contribution can be leveraged to obtain State, Federal, and/or private funds. In order to <br /> investigate and better understand the issues around these responsibilities, a Committee of three <br /> Commissioners was formed. The committee members are Laura Schuster, Kim Garcia and Paul <br /> Campbell. <br /> <br /> The committee members met and discussed special funding opportunities and <br /> requirements. One of the greatest concerns arising from the findings is that of management of <br /> acquired properties. In most cases, the County has insufficient funds and/or personnel to take on <br /> management of said properties. <br /> _ To leverage adjunct Federal and/or State funds, management plans might be a condition <br /> <br /> a for application. A further requirement for some funding is that managing entities must be <br /> 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. If funding sources are found to create management plans, it's <br /> feasible that the County could develop the plans. To fund management plans for property <br /> acquisitions in their districts, County Council members should be encouraged to transfer a <br /> portion of their annual discretionary funds to the appropriate County department. These plans <br /> could be turned over to qualified groups for implementation. Group and programs could include, <br /> but are not limited to the following: <br /> <br /> w, ? 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations; <br /> ? Park Volunteer Corps. - a group that would be developed to provide maintenance for <br /> specific properties, similar to a work-force program like Civilian Conservation Corps.; <br /> ? Heritage Stewards - for those parcels where resources are such that an on-site steward <br /> may be the best option; <br /> ? Adopt a Park Program - similar to the Adopt a Highway Program. <br /> w <br /> <br /> -4- <br /> r <br />