HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0175.011 2022-2024 COMM, iZ15
From: whipmkealoha
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2023 9:52 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Resolution 91-23 - IN SUPPORT
Aloha Honorable Councilpersons:
The purpose for this testimony is to express full support of Resolution 91-23, regarding the restoration of our Pohoiki
boat ramp. We have worked diligently with the DLNR/DOBOR, Army Corp. of Engineers, and our State representatives, to
ensure the boat ramp is restored.
Below please find the overview of our community efforts over the course of the past four(4)years, towards the restoration
of our boat ramp in Pohoiki. The continued recovery from the historic eruption of 2018 requires that ocean access is
provided for our fishermen,who feed our communities.
OVERVIEW
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The effort to restore fishing access at Pohoiki has been consistent since the eruption _-
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o There have been numerous community meetings, both public and private }
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■ VIDEO SERIES: Puna Fishermen Pack Pohoiki Boat Ramp Meeting
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o This has been the consistent direction of DOBOR
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• Hawaii boat ramp could restore ocean access in volcano area
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0 Consistent direct engagement with DLNR Deputy Director Bob Masuda Comm. No
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1Ref. ate APR ® 5 2023
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o Site visit by House Finance Committee
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■ Hawaii Tracker
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0 County Council Resolution
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■ County of Hawaii Resolution No. 218-19
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• Community support for EA exemption
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o ACOE officials have recommended applying the existing nationwide permit EA exemption to this project.
It qualifies as, it falls under"various routine activities, including maintenance or permit No.35 maintenance
dredging of basins". They need the formal application to be submitted in order to make a decision.
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• State funding for restoration planning
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o Gov. David Ige has released $500,000 in state funding that will be used for planning and feasibility
studies for the possible restoration of the Pohoiki boat ramp
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■ Initial funds released for Puna boat ramp
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o Representative Joy San Buenaventura and Senator Russell Ruderman secured $1.5 million from the
Senate Ways and Means Committee for Pohoiki Boat Ramp. State legislature appropriated this money
last year. It was given specifically for Pohoiki and should not go to any other department or get lapsed
into the general fund.
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• Pohoiki has been agreed upon as the most culturally and environmentally appropriate site
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o Numerous meetings over nearly a three-year period have been held, with lineal descendants of the
coastline, subsistence and commercial fishermen, community stakeholders, elected and government
officials.
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o There is a online petition with over 4,800 signatures
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■ Petition - Petition Supporting Pohoiki Boat Ramp Change.org
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• Limited Access Points along coastline
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O There are no other feasible sites for a boat ramp along the entire 100 mile stretch between Hilo and
Ka`u. Pohoiki is the most viable location for a boat ramp by all accounts.
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• Disaster Preparation & Management
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o In the event of natural disaster, the Pohoiki Boat Ramp serves as a vital evacuation and/or rescue
strategy, as there is only one road in or out of Pahoa. The ramp was considered as a method for bringing
goods/services to the Pahoa area in 2014, when a flow came within 100 yards of Pahoa Village
Road. During the 2018 eruption, it was used as an evacuation point for people (and pets)that were
stuck in the area between the MacKenzie flow and the Kapoho flow. During Tropical Storm Iselle, many,
many roads were impassable for weeks. This type of event will likely occur again; it is critical to have a
coastal access point in Puna Makai.
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• Food Sovereignty
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O It is essential that this community has access to this resource that has been feeding the people of this
district for countless generations.
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O Strengthening the local food system and encouraging consumers to buy local are critical components of
the State Plan to increase food security and sustainability in Hawaii.
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• Cultural Function
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o Recollections of Puna Fisheries and Native Fishing Customs Interviews at Pohoiki, Puna—with Kepa
Maly
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o The absence of a boat ramp at Pohoiki puts extreme hardship on the lawai`a to continue their practice
and pass their knowledge onto the next generation.
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o Knowledge of fishing grounds is complex, multilayered, critical information that is extremely site-specific.
It is vital that the information is transmitted from generation to generation, and there is not a large gap in
access to these grounds or extensive limitations in accessibility.
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• Economic Sustainability
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o The Pohoiki Boat Ramp has provided income for countless families in Puna. The fishing industry is one
of the only ones we have here. It must be restored so that our people do not need to commute 30+ miles
into other districts to support their families.
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• Kilauea 2018 Eruption Recovery
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o The restoration of the Pohoiki Boat Ramp has been identified as an important component of the eruption
recovery
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o "The Pohoiki boat ramp, an important community meeting place that provided residents with access to the
ocean for their livelihoods and food security,was rendered land-locked due to volcanic activity. The lack
of access for fishing boats incurred significant economic impacts upon some individuals and families, but
what was lost cannot be quantified in terms of numbers or values. Generations of families learned
traditional fishing methods from their ancestors. Pohoiki was not just a fishing dock; it was a way of life for
many. The community was built around sharing and preserving these traditions."
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• https://recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/home/showpubIisheddocument?id=302781
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(*Source-Leah Gouker)
The above list does not encompass, by any measure, the urgency in which this community needs the restoration of our
boat ramp. We have been working on this for years; our lawai'a are suffering, and our community is less safe on many
levels.
Respectfully submitted,
Ku'ulei Kealoha Cooper
Trustee, Kealoha Estate
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