HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0988.034 2018-2020 z
s
Council of the County of Hawaii
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Building A COUNTY CLERK
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 COUNTY OF HAWAI 9 I
July 22, 2020, 9 a.m. RECEIVED
Tim 11:164m
Re: Bill 178
Date 2 0
Aloha Hawaii County Council members,
My name is Sebastian Wells and I am a graduate student at the University of Hawaii Hilo in the
Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) Masters program. I want to
take this opportunity to articulate my support for Bill 178 which would enable private
landowners to receive reduced property tax rates for native forest, functional forest, and
successional forest land-use dedications promoting the islandwide engagement of native forest
restoration.
As you all probably already know, with the introduction of different land-use practices such as
agriculture, cattle ranching, and urbanization, the traditional landscape of Hawaii has been
transformed into something that no longer resembles its historic structure. While these
developments have allowed us to enjoy the modern amenities that support our existence here in
the middle of the Pacific, native Hawaiian forests have been drastically altered by human
modification in the process making many native species highly vulnerable to extinction.
Although I have always been passionate about caring for the environment, I was never fully
aware of the extensive list of environmental issues our island paradise is faced with until I
learned about them as an intern in an aloha `aina based summer internship program. I
participated in the Pacific Internship Program.for Exploring Science (PIPES)program for two
consecutive summers where I did loko i`a(fishpond) restoration and water quality monitoring at
Kaloko-Honok6hau National Historical Park and worked for the Office of Maunakea
Management assisting with arthropod surveys and bioacoustic monitoring. During these
internships, I was able to see the things I had been learning about in the classroom with my own
eyes. I saw countless examples of native ecosystems being overrun by invasive species and being
destroyed by ungulates on Maunakea, decreased water quality and quantity negatively impacting
the marine organisms in our Hawaiian Fishponds, and a decline in the native biodiversity that
once flourished here throughout Hawaii County. Learning first hand from conservation
professionals about the pressures native ecosystems from mauka to makai are faced with is one
of the many reasons why I am a strong advocate for Bill 178 as I see this legislation as a way to
help preserve the highly prized native forest systems that remain.
By providing private landowners with reduced property tax rates for native forest restoration, the
provisions outlined in Bill 178 is one way to ensure that our beloved native forests will remain
healthy and intact for the enjoyment of future generations, and not fade into the history books
like many of the endemic species that have come before us. I humbly ask that you accept this
testimony, and want to thank you for allowing me to voice my support for Bill 178.
Mahalo piha,
Sebastian Wells
Comm.,No. -lu'Ja-
Ref. To: P IAI
Ref. Date iUL z 2 2020