Comm No 0021.146 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fund

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After working at Kawa for a couple years, I have become quite attached to it. It has become special, almost sacred to me, a wahi pana. We have put countless hours and a LOT of effort into Kawa. Last year when we started, Kawa was a complete mess. We looked around and all we could see were invasive plants, with a few natives here and there slowly being choked out by the invasives. Now, anyone who goes there will say that it is a beautiful place. Kawa is so full of nature and has given so much to me and my class. There is a visible difference between what it was two years ago and what it is today. Kawa has become a wahi pana to many, many people, especially my class. If we lose funding we will lose this wahi pana and all that will be left will be the memories of the work we put into it. Funding is extremely important to non-profit organizations like Na Mamo 0 Kawa. Obtaining supplies and equipment to continue upkeep can be difficult because most good equipment is expensive. Without the equipment that they have because of how the land is being supported with the PONC fund they will have a much larger problem in needing financial aid. All of the people at Kawa are already putting a lot of their own money into the project along with using equipment they own. Even though they aren't buying all that much equipment, they still have to buy gas or charge their batteries. Buying gasoline costs money, so does electricity. These may start off being small amounts, but with all the work they put in, these costs add up to something gigantic and devastating. Without the funding those who work there are going to lose money, possibly even go into debt, if they can't keep up with the money they are spending because they have to provide for the environment. In conclusion, Kawa needs the support from the PONC fund. We have worked so hard to get to where we are now. Losing the fund would devastate us and hinder our work considerably. There are other things that need work too, like roads and other government sections. But most, if not all, of those things have money going into them already. Kawa and all