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From: Kinsley McEachern <br /> To: Council Remote Testimony;WPCtestimony <br /> Subject: Kapu Ka"u Punalu"u Beach testimony <br /> Date: Thursday,March 7,2024 11:36:18 AM <br /> Aloha mai kakou, <br /> I am writing today as a deeply concerned citizen passionate about keeping Hawai'i, <br /> Hawai'i, and in the hands of the indigenous people who malama the 'aina, human and <br /> wildlife ancestors alike, and the natural ecosystems. <br /> I am personally heartbroken to learn of the proposed 223 unit condominium, <br /> restaurant, beach club cafe, golf course, wellness center and more development at <br /> Punalu'u Beach. As a conservation biologist working for the State of Hawai'i Division <br /> of Forestry and Wildlife on Hawaiian Endangered Species regulations, and a former <br /> wildlife rehabber on Hawai'i island caring for injured and sick native species, I am <br /> keenly aware of the implications of this proposed development on the wildlife who use <br /> this beach to survive, as their nesting ground, and their generational home. The State <br /> endangered Tio holo i ka uaua or Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) <br /> and threatened honu or Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) can occur or haul out <br /> onshore within the vicinity of the proposed project site. Nesting season for the honu is <br /> April through December and Tio holo i ka uaua can give birth to pups all year <br /> round. Furthermore, the critically endangered honu'ea or Hawksbill Sea Turtle <br /> (Eretmochelys imbricate) nest on the beach during the months of May through <br /> December, which is within the vicinity of the proposed project site. <br /> Furthermore, this development has not been properly, ethically, culturally and <br /> environmentally vetted. The local community and wildlife will take on the negative <br /> externalities of this project while the gains go to developers who don't care about the <br /> collective future of Hawai'i but care about their pocketbooks increasing exponentially. <br /> There is no updated EIS for this development, there is no disaster mitigation plan, <br /> and there needs to be an updated shore assessment and setback. The waste water <br /> of the current infrastructure is already destroying nearby fishing ponds and pools, and <br /> water systems for fires are outdated and failing. Furthermore, the impacts to the iwi <br /> and sacred burial sites of Hawaiian ancestors needs to be properly assessed and <br /> considered and there needs to be a burial treatment plan. Furthermore, the impacts to <br /> citizens who live in the area with the increase to property taxes need to be considered <br /> as a very valid implication. <br /> I do not support this development project and this kind of development is not in line <br /> with the needs of the indigenous and local people, wildlife, and natural ecosystems, <br /> who are the real constituents of Hawai'i island, NOT the developers and owners <br /> profiting off of this project. <br /> Kapu Punalu'u, Kapu Ka'u! <br /> Mahalo nui loa, <br /> Kinsley McEachern <br />