2018-05-03 Hearing Transcript - Hamakua CDP

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I'd like to also thank the Steering Committee. They are very kind, very transparent, and very open and willing to discuss all issues. Again, thank you. What I'd like to focus on is to support revised Policy No. 18 which says shoreline and building setbacks for environmental health and safety are priorities. I've given you a handout. The first page is an outline of my presentation. I hope you have it right there. You got it? And, the second page is a picture of Hakalau Bay at Mile Marker 16. If you look at that picture, look at that insert, January 2015, there was a huge landslide in front of somebody's property. I was out there fishing two weeks ago, and look at that picture on April 2018. Nothing has healed. Once a landslide happens, it's forever. Its forever, obliterates people talk about land rights. I understand that. But, is this landowner going to clean up this? This is really a trust resource. This is our resources. I've cut an ace that nobody's willing to clean this trash up, but this habitat is gone and lost forever. Therefore, it's very critical, I think, the shoreline and setback should be very, very seriously considered. This is nothing to deal with, to play with. The second handout, I wrote about a story called, "The Lonely Life of a Hamakua `Opihi." Those of you who like `opihi as food or those of you who consider it as a natural resource heritage, please read this article. I think it's trying to explain to everyone what it means to all of us. Lastly, I'd like to say the, I'd like to encourage the continuation of a working relation with UHH, Hilo has created a group called a manager climate corporation. It's a collaboration between managers, County in this example and academics at UH Hilo, to develop adaptive capacity resealing with climate change impacts. I'd like to specifically praise the collaboration between Dr. Peroy for UH Hilo and your own Bethany Morrison from the Planning Department for guiding Rose Hart, a graduate student who did a great work on documenting historical and present cliff rate erosions. What it really does for me, it gives us a level playing field. As planning agencies, you always hear this crying about local jobs. It's about local jobs, local jobs, but nobody stands up for environmental issues. This is our heritage. This is, once it's destroyed, it's destroyed. Think about that. Okay, we're not—we're not telling no development. Just be cautious, okay? So, it provides that level playing field so again, I'd like, as a planning division, we have our own backyard expertise. Please encourage this collaboration to go forward because it really helps us in our decision-making. Thank you. FRIDAY: Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I'm J. B. Friday. I'm a resident of Hilo. I'm a professional forester. I work with the University of Hawaii, but today, I'm testifying on my own behalf, not on the behalf of the University. This is a great plan. It's tried to incorporate a lot of stuff trying to balance a lot of issues as more and more people move up to the Hamakua Coast. One concern I did have from it I want to bring out again is the discussion of viewplanes. As people move up, they build their lovely house up on the hill, then they start talking about what their neighbors are allowed to do. EXHIBIT D 16