2025-02-03 Jim McMahon Testimony

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effigies, water contamination from runoff into the streams, increased need for law enforcement and EMS intervention, etc. Notes from previous "Falls on Fire" events Living on the access road to this event and within earshot of the site has unwillingly given me a "front row seat" to this event which has been held twice in Nov 2023 and Nov 2024. Here are my notes: • Attendance and traffic- • For the 2023 event, we were told to expect 50 attendees but at least 100 people showed up. In 2024 only 200 tickets were supposed to have been sold. But my estimate of the number of attendees is -400 based on -500 additional vehicle trips on our road (-200 vehicle unique vehicle license plates). In addition to traffic for the 4 days of the event itself there is significant traffic during the days preceding the event and after the event for setup and takedown. Some of the traffic was from support staff, caterers, hired musicians, DJs, etc. and not from the actual participants. • The Indian Tree rd. gate along the belt road was closed after 6PM as per the regular operating schedule. But many people still entered by piggy-backing when someone would leave the event. At one point there were up to 7 vehicles waiting for the gate to open - backing up onto the main highway. The gate was also forced open at least once and probably more than once. By Sunday night the gate was no longer functional. • The event organizers didn't seem to have a plan to deal with the large number of uninvited attendees/gate crashers. A few of them that I encountered did return back down the road after they reported that the gate above us to the ranch had been closed. But it appears that most were allowed in to stay. Some only stayed for a single day or night- others stayed for at least 24 hours. • We were told to expect most of the traffic at the beginning and end of the event when the campers were arriving/departing. However, there was more traffic on Saturday and Sunday during the middle of the event- mostly due official attendees making day trips to go shopping, go to the beach, joy riding, whatever. in addition to the gate crasher traffic. • Other Observations: • Noise from the event was less than the 2023 event but was still audible most of the night. Many of the vehicles travelling along our road late at night had very loud sound systems and even a few blasted their horns as they were driving past our house - I assume it was because they were protesting our opposition to the event. • Bothersome smoke was only noted on Friday night. I woke around 11 PM with burning eyes, lungs, and a slight headache.. Often the night winds are off the Mauna and the smoke from fires on properties above us are basically funneled along the Hanawi stream gulch down to our house. The normally nightly westerly