HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0284.035 2020-2022 i
s i
E
E
E
Chadd Paishon & Pomai Bertelmann
P.O. Box 6248
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
COUNTY CLERK
June 14,2021
COUNTY OF RAWAI'i Chair and Presiding Office Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder Time 'f i{ 11���
1. gy�
Vice Chair Health L. Kimball
Committee on Finance, County Council Date
County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Aloha Members of the Committee on Finance:
We are Chadd Paishon and Pomai Bertelmann of Waimea, Hawaii. This testimony is in support of
Resolution No. 145-21. Chadd is the Senior Captain and Pomai is the Board President of N&Kdlai Woo
Moku o Keawe who are the caretakers of the coastal sailing canoe Mauloa and the voyaging canoe
Makali'i. We wholeheartedly and with purposeful intent join with the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust(HILT)
and the North and South Kohala communities, to permanently protect the lands of Mahukona, Kaomo,
Nihiu, Kamano, Kou,and Kapaa nui.
Together, we ask for the County Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Funds to
be used to support the purchase of these lands and to protect them from any and all resort and
subdivision development while protecting the Agricultural Field Systems of Kohala.
it is relevant and of absolute importance that as a community, we act to safeguard Mahukona's
prominent Hawaiian cultural landscape and cultural sites still cared for by 'ohana and practitioners,
while protecting the integrity and continuation of the area's cultural and religious practices. This would
also incude but is not limited to non-instrumental navigation and subsistence fishing
practices. Development, an influx of people caused by development, light interference, and uncontrolled
cicumstances will cause adverse impact to these practices and this life line of Kohala's people.
We press you to act in the best interest of Mahukona and see to it that the natural resource preservation
funds be granted by this Committee on Finance, to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust(HILT),for the land
purchase of Mahukona.
We also request the deletion of the fourth WHEREAS clause pertaining to recreation policies in parts. We
believe that these development requirements do not apply to the intent of this land purchase resolution
as the intent is for preservation and not development.
Comm. No. ` 154-M?
Ref. To:No.
gate JUN 1 5 2
The State and County of Hawaii must uphold its constitutional obligation as stewards of these ceded and
crown lands to protect native Hawaiian subsistence, culfural, and religious practices of public resources.
Again, we trust that approval of the County public access, open space, and natural resource preservation
funds for the Mahukona land purchase will be granted by this Committee on Finance.
Thank you for your time and for allowing this testimony in support of Resolution No. 145-21.
Me ka haahaa,
Pomai Bertelmann Chadd Paishon
Na Olai Wd'a Na Olai Wda
Board President Senior Captain