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'(' n 10 S$�'•1i <br /> HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES <br /> Hale a na Luna Maka'ainana <br /> STATE OF HAWAI'I <br /> STATE CAPITOL <br /> 415 SOUTH BERETANIA STREET <br /> HONOLULU,HAWAI'I 96813 <br /> May 1, 2024 <br /> TO: Windward Planning Commission <br /> FROM: Rep. Jeanne Kapela, Hawaii State House of Representatives (D-5) <br /> RE: Testimony on Black Sands Beach, LLC Punalu'u Development Proposal <br /> We must preserve Punalu'u. <br /> I stand with the hundreds of people who testified in opposition to Black Sands, LLC's <br /> proposed commercial development in Ka'u. Our kuleana is to protect our heritage and <br /> our pristine coastline. <br /> The environment of Ka'u is fragile and home to many sacred Hawaiian cultural sites, <br /> including important Native Hawaiian burial sites. Moreover, this project is not sustainable. <br /> It does not contain provisions that align with our county's or our state's renewable energy <br /> and clean economy goals. <br /> Ka'u already faces difficulty in sustaining local infrastructure. This project would be an <br /> additional drain on our energy and water resources. Instead of investing in private <br /> development that primarily benefits tourists, we should strengthen public facilities that <br /> uplift our 'ohana's health and well-being. <br /> Ka'u's people have carefully cultivated the land for generations. It is one of the few places <br /> that has not been overrun by the visitor industry. We need to keep our community in the <br /> hands of its ancestral caretakers, not private corporations. <br /> The Punalu'u coastline also harbors many endangered spaces. Moving forward with this <br /> project without conducting another environmental impact statement would show reckless <br /> disregard for the families who have lived here for hundreds of years. <br /> Planning Commission members should not rely on an outdated environmental impact <br /> statement to determine the course of our future. They must listen to the voices of the <br /> people, who are proclaiming that this proposal is not pono. <br /> I recently visited the development site, where I witnessed firsthand the dilapidated <br /> infrastructure that currently exists in the area. The property has been left neglected and <br />