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there are animals on this island that are nocturnal and they're endangered. These lands <br />should not be sold off. It makes these animals' reserve area smaller and smaller and <br />smaller. And they're already endangered. They're already greatly endangered. And <br />eventually we're going to have a wildlife crisis on our hands. I've seen evidence already <br />of that starting in certain places on the island, because there's too many people here. <br />And so we need to do something about that as well. We need to stop developing these <br />lands. We need to have the Hamakua Forest Reserve lands, these lands that are up for <br />sale, added to our forest reserve that's already in existence with the State, because that's <br />what it was meant to be. Before it became a state, it was a territory. The County of <br />Hawai `i hid those records from the State and never let them know that it was supposed to <br />be part of the State Forest Reserve lands. And that's basically what happened. I've seen <br />pictures of actually a picture of old Hawai `i, and the koa wood trees that once lived <br />behind and stood behind Waimea, the town of Waimea, them things were like larger than <br />the sequoia national redwoods. We're talking huge, massive trees. What kind of species <br />were in there? What lived in those trees? What existed? Now it's like a -- almost a <br />desert. It's becoming a desert with the cows. If you want a desert, that's what you do. <br />You cut the trees down, you bring the cows in, and voila, eventually you have a desert. <br />And people are saying I'm noticing changes here, I'm noticing changes here. Yeah, there <br />are changes being made here. But it's more than just the political changes, and it's more <br />than just the population increasing and stuff. I believe with all my heart- -I believe that <br />God's judgment is coming to this island because of all the things that are going on here. <br />This county needs to make it right. This state needs to make it right to the Hawaiian <br />people. Because if not, then the judgment of God's going to come. We say in God we <br />trust, right here on the coin. If we believe God, if we trust God, then we are to obey <br />what? This, His word. Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet anything that is thy <br />neighbor's. And that's what happened with the Hawaiian people. I rest my case. <br />CHAIR: Okay, thank you. Shelley Stephens? If you could state your name for the <br />record. <br />STEPHENS: Aloha, can you hear me okay? <br />CHAIR: Yup. <br />STEPHENS: My name is Shelley Stephens, S- T- E- P- H -E -N -S. I'm also calledMaka `ala <br />Nakoa. I was asked to file this petition from my `ohana. The original petition - -what <br />we 're stating is that the sale of the Hamakua land is unethical, and we cited that also it <br />would cause harm to a third party, which is part of the Ethics Code. And I listed in <br />number two specifically the sections that it would apply under the Ethics Code. What I <br />am contending is that I have this document here I'd like to circulate, if you could please <br />give it to them. And you can look at the front of it. It has to do with the Hamakua land <br />that shows that there was an altered document at the basis of the title. And we're <br />concerned that there's a discrepancy in the Title Guaranty report and that in general, <br />that the types of title, which Title Guaranty is providing the title search, they're providing <br />to the mayor, does put him in an unethical position. And I did type up in particular a <br />report stating that Title Guaranty- -that the County of Hawai `i has jurisdiction over Title <br />Guaranty, because they're paying them to do a job, and that they have to reflect on the <br />issue of this altered document, and that two police officers and one sheriff has seen the <br />2 <br />