2025-02-05 Eileen Downing Testimony

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for this narrative is the investors, in renewable energy, want to make these changes. • Hilo does not have a Community Development Plan. How can a Big Island General Plan move forward without that? Hilo is 22% of the island. 1.13 under"Increase the biodiversity and resilience of native habitats" reads, '7ncentivize private land management practices that protect and enhance natural resource values and, when appropriate, pursue the acquisition of lands for the protection of natural resources.""Incentives" mean more taxes. "Protection" means more rules. Who's "values" is this plan referring too because it's not the locals? "Pursue the acquisition of lands" does this say they are going to pursing taking people's private property? Again with "protection of natural resources". This plan should be focused on people growing more food and it is doing the exact opposite! • This plan wants to turn land into "conservation". The exact opposite is what is needed for Big Island! We need to turn land into Ag Villages and grow more food! Steve Shropshire, a resident of Papaikou, has created an Ag Villages plan. Ag Village to add to the General Plan: Papaikou Ag Village Objectives: https://www.standtoaetherhawaii.com/ files/ugd/86fc0c 2cb1cc6d604f4cdd971ad40831c745bc.pdf Papaikou Site Plan: https://www.standtoaetherhawaii.com/files/ugd/86fc0c 5e4cdb02efeb46a5ae949a3579aff00d.pdf Papaikou Development: https://www.standtoaetherhawaii.com/files/ugd/86fc0c c2af52c8b3c645b1a6868a724eee8304.pdf A Hawaiian born Kanaka revised the Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship that is in the plan. You can see it in the pdf below: Part One: https://www.standtoaetherhawaii.com/files/ugd/86fc0c Oa1d5be8f1d140069415f7b691725786.pdf Part Two: https://86fcOcbd-8207-4076-85fa- 5a62e4e933b4.usrfiles.com/ugd/86fc0c ecc498ba192d4a7689ebf31c3681c2ec.pdf Here is a longer revised version of the plan from locals: https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fcOc_b34739e4c99c461685de4c0207bf286e.pdf The way this plan is written is very far from what will support our island.