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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0284.042 2020-2022 Kamaka Wakita Wakita'Ohana 301 King Ave. Hilo,HI 96720 808.333,1247 14 June 2021 Chair and Presiding Officer Matt Kaneati'i-Kleinfelder COUNTY CLERK Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball COUNTY OF HAWAII I Committee on Finance, County Council RECEIWDS:ie County of Hawaii Time 12142 V.M. By, 25 Aupuni Street Date JUN 1 4 2021 Hilo,Hawaii 96720 Aloha mai e Chair Kdneali'i-Kleinfelder, Vice Chair Kimball, and Members of the Committee on Finance, Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony in strong support of Resolution 145-21 for the permanent protection of Mahukona. We understand that Hawaiian Islands Land Trust(HILT),Na Kdlai Wa'a,Mahukona familis and the Kohala community are working together with the County's Public Access,Open Space,and Natural Resources Commission process,among others,to raise public and private funding in order to purchase and permanently protect the lands of Mdhukona,located along the Kohala,Hawaii Island coastline,covering 642 acres and six ahupua'a(from south to north)Kaoma,Hihiu,Mahukona,Kamano,Kou,and Kapa'anui. The following highlights the main reasons 1,Kamaka Wakita and my family, support a conservation purchase and permanent protection of Mahukona: • Effectively prohibit future subdivision and development of Hawai'i's agricultural lands,while protecting Kohala's agricultural tradition of the Kohala Field System. With its prime location and agricultural and resort land use designations,the lands of Mdhukona are at risk to be sold to resort and high-scale residential developers. • Permanently protect and allow for 'ohana and community stewardship of Mahukona's prominent Hawaiian cultural landscape and the hundreds of ancient heiau and cultural sites still cared for by `ohana and practitioners,while protecting the integrity and continuation of the area's ongoing cultural and religious practices including but not limited to non-instrumental navigation and subsistence fishing practices. • Protect Mdhukona's native flora and fauna habitat, including that for the endangered '6pe'ape'a (Hawaiian Hoary Bat)and Hawaiian monk seal, and other unidentified threatened, endangered or at- risk species(TER),while equally providing habitat restoration opportunities for other TER species. • Maintain recreational use of the area's trails and swimming areas. • Successfully complete a portion of the conservation corridor, connecting the protection of Lapakahi State Historical Park to the south to the County's Kapa'a Beach Park to the north, effectively contributing to the Kohala community's vision for a conservation corridor and protection of scenic view planes as outlined in the North Kohala Community Development Plan. • Ensure the integrity and health of Mdhukona's ocean resources, including endemic and endangered marine species. • Use of public funds for the protection of Mahukona is a proactive opportunity for the County and State to uphold their constitutional obligations to protect Native Hawaiian subsistence,cultural,and religious practices and Public Trust resources. Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony in strong support of Resolution 145-21 for the permanent protection of Mahukona. Kamaka Wakitai100011 Wakita'Ohana Comm. No* Ref. To:—v Ref. Date_1UN_1Z—=