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From.- Diane Riley
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2021 2:51 PM
Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in strong support of Resolution 35-21, February 17, 2021, hearing before the
Hawaii County Council Committee on Government operations, Relations, & Economic
Development, Douglas Callison
Dear Council members,
My name is Douglas Callison, & I am a construction worker by trade, specializing in. Plastering. I was born & raised
In California, but I have lived on the Big Island of Hawaii since 1990. Over these past 30 years, I worked on many
projects, homes, & resorts. The recessions of 1993 & 2008 closed down many projects, &there was a huge decline in
construction employmelit. In March 2020, due to Covid-19, construction declined again. when tourism declines,
construction declines. Ili my opinion, It would be wise to create 'industries in Hawaii which are NOT dependent upon
construction or tourism.
Thanks to Kupu 'Rina Corps, I was able to work at the Hakalau Sanctuary under the supervision of Susan. Cordell
AD (:Director and Research Ecologist, & Director of the Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific
Southwest Research Station) & Dr. Patrick Hart (Professor of the Department of Biology with the University of
Hawaii 111 Hilo) in the program for Conservative Leadership (CLDP) with Kupu 'Rina Corps (IAC).
Before the opportunity with Kupu, I had bills to pay but no one was hiring. Kupu gave me a chance to work hard in
return for a paycheck. This opportunity provided me with income, a sense of purpose, & hope for the future. I am
very pleased with the renovative & restorative wort{that I was able to do for them.My Supervisors are wonderful
people who worked closely with me, & they were very supportive & appreciative of my work. I learned clot about
Conservation. from them in this program, & I feel that we need to create businesses which protect the land of Hawa i I.
feel strongly that green jobs &programs like KUPU are very valuable, especially in a time like this when we are
experiencing such a huge decline in employment of all kinds because of the Covid-19 pandemic & all that it entails.
Please watch Kupu's video, &take to heart the many genuine testimonials of my KUPU co-workers. Please lend an
ear to the voices of the people. Thank you for this opportunity to be heard.
Mahalo, Douglas Callison
..row. n.
Comm. N VA
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