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As I mentioned earlier, we were here at the last three previous Planning Commission meetings. <br />And we are here to support the Planning Director’s recommendation to revoke the Special <br />Management Area Use Permit for this parcel. This is aligned with over 30 years of State and <br />County resolutions, plans, and community petitions that have called for this coast to be zoned <br />Open and Conservation and preserved. <br />I think most significantly it’s been clearly shown that the applicant just doesn’t meet the <br />conditions for a time extension. And we stated this in January. And just to reiterate, you know, <br />the circumstances and contexts under which this application was initially approved have changed <br />and they need to be considered environmentally and socially. There is very compelling <br />documentation that we included again in today’s testimony that the development and <br />construction activities upslope of this area have already significantly degraded the water quality <br />and the reef there. And you are probably familiar with Bill Walsh’s DLNR work regarding this <br />reef. You know, basically the coral has been pretty decimated and killed. And the scale of <br />damage in this area, immediately offshore, is significantly greater than the damage that <br />precipitated the EPA investigations and fines against Hokulia. I know based on my personal, <br />professional experience that – that’s why I’m here for the fourth time, taking time away from <br />work – that development of any kind will only contribute to this problem, especially because it <br />borders the ocean and this area has already been severely impacted. And there really are no best <br />management practices in the world that they are going to guarantee that they are not going to <br />continue to decimate this area. <br />You know, the second point with regard to changes in conditions and contexts since this permit <br />was initially issued is that there is an even greater body of evidence and support that the <br />proposed project is not at all aligned with what the community has consistently expressed with <br />regard to preserving this coastline. The input the last two years during the readiness process for <br />the community development planning up in North Kohala and the draft recommendations <br />coming out of the focus groups, which include a calling for rezoning of the State coastal lands, <br />which includes the parcel immediately adjacent and north of this to Conservation, all this clearly <br />identifies preserving this coast free of development, is the community’s longstanding wishes and <br />desires. <br />You know, the annual reports weren’t followed; the conditions for exercising the options for <br />entitlements weren’t followed. There are no takings here. And there are plenty of court cases <br />that have been cited. We cited one at our last testimony regarding a case on Oahu going all the <br />th <br />way up through the 9 Circuit Court of Appeals with regard to downzoning private property <br />from Resort to Conservation. There’s absolutely not a takings issue here. And my <br />understanding is that the County Council has received a whole bunch of documentation <br />regarding this as well. <br />But I would say, you know, one of the things we really need to consider on this island, you <br />know, socially and those of us involved in the political arena and planning, is there is a real <br />concern for lawsuits. They are going to force the County to take action to protect natural <br />resources from the cumulative effects of development under the Clean Water Act and the Coastal <br />Zone Management Act. And we certainly need to be concerned about upholding the Public Trust <br />doctrine of our State. You know, rulings have upheld the validity of the Public Trust doctrine to <br />trump private land rights specifically for the protection of water and beneficial uses. It’s just a -, <br />EXHIBIT A <br />7 <br /> <br />