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course is designed and built to maximize environmental protection and sustainability; and
<br />the Audubon Gold sustainable development is actually a fabulous marketing tool and it
<br />creates a great competitive advantage to say that youÓre an Audubon Gold golf course;
<br />and I hope that they realize that.
<br />Conditions 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 is part of the Gold. But the Planning Department,
<br />frankly, doesnÓt have the expertise or can require the compliance as the Audubon who
<br />makes 20 visits prior to final certification. So youÓve got built-in oversight and
<br />compliance. All right, thatÓs one factor. ThatÓs a relatively minor factor of the two. The
<br />major objection that they have is the plant platform. Ted Robinson says, ÐKohanaiki will
<br />have to adopt the desert type of planting palate, which I believe would be inconsistent
<br />with lush Hawaiian landscape offered by competing projects such
<br />Dave EadieÓs biggest concern is that Kohanaiki wonÓt be lush like Kukio and therefore
<br />reduces marketability. HeÓs wrong. Native vegetation can be lush and beautiful when
<br />properly selected. ItÓs a misconception, and it isnÓt so that itÓs, it canÓt look as good as
<br />any other golf course.
<br />Now in the first of Kukio, this very morning I spoke to Jim McPh
<br />the superintendent at Kukio of the golf courses. And hereÓs what he says: ÐThat all plant
<br />material that he has there survived in poor condition. The bulk of it is coastal tolerant
<br />vegetation such as naupaka, monkey pod, kiawe, hau, polomana. ThereÓs not a lot of
<br />formal landscape. Naupaka looks lush. And heÓd be very happy to assist in advising
<br />counsel of the Kohanaiki people. If we had more time, we could go out there and meet
<br />with the Kukio golf course superintendent, and he will show us their plant palate which
<br />would help convince Mr. Eadie that he can have a beautiful, lush golf course using native
<br />adapted plants, plants for the environment, plants for that particular environment. And if
<br />thatÓs not enough, then there are non-native plants that are particularly adapted to the
<br />environment. So thereÓs tremendous selection is what IÓm saying. You know, just asking
<br />around people, asking them about the kinds of vegetation that is adaptable down there,
<br />thereÓs coconut palm, heliotrope, monkey pod, kiawe, hibiscus, naupaka, patchandra
<br />palm, loulu palm, true kamane, breadfruit, hau, milo, naupaka, hala, naiau, noni, tea,
<br />beach morning glory, ilima, akia and kou, and a lot more. This
<br />lovely, beautiful plants; and they have a place in a golf course in that particular
<br />environment. And then, of course, there are other non-native plants that we all know like
<br />bougainvillea, kiawe.
<br />Now IÓm dwelling on this because this is the major objection. We donÓt want to risk the
<br />marketability. We want to be competitive because, and we canÓt
<br />course that doesnÓt look good. Okay.
<br />So I want to point out here all the multitude of options that they have. I read you the
<br />plant platform for Kohanaiki. Here is a checklist of plants that are grown at Kaloko-
<br />Honokohau and the Puukohala Heiau, pool sites that have the similar vegetation, similar
<br />climate as Kohanaiki. There are 65 species here, 125 plants. Here is the Kaloko-
<br />Honokohau National Historical Park, the strategies of vegetation management and the
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