HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0460.008 2022-2024September, 30, 2023
County of Hawai `i
County Council
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COUNTY '0
1073 OCT - 2 MR B: 4 3
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Re: Testimony in Support of Resolution to purchase (TMK 328008100) or the entire shoreline of the
`ili of Pepe`ekeo by the County through the PONC process.
Lauren Kamei, County of Hawaii, Recreation Director II, supports the resolution for purchase of
(TMK 328008 100) for preservation and stewardship of the shoreline area of the entire `ili of
Pepe`ekeo.
My family is from our North Hilo communities and have been raised around these shorlines. It is an
important part of our culture and what makes us mindful and caring human being. I am also a
County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation Recreation Director. It is my job to work with the
community to create/develop community based and enriching programming for our town. Having
the County purchase for preservation and stewarship of the shoreline will allow me to create
partnerships with our communties to create endless programming possibilities for keiki all the way to
kupuna. I look to engage and connect our communities in lifelong connections to the shoreline with
creating programming through Parks and Recreation.
I connect with this special place because I come from of family of fishermen and women. I hear
about wonderful stories during plantation days where they would go to these shoreline places and
feed their families and special occassions. Now these places have been purchased by private land
owners and have cut off our communities from these practices and lifestyle. I would like to learn and
share the lessons of these special places with our communties and those that care about this special
place.
It important to my `ohana and organization to protect this shoreline. My organization and community
will most definitely benefit from forever protecting the natural and cultural resources on these places.
It will allow us means to have collaborations, to create shoreline/ocean lessons and activites to
engage the community to learn and give back to the land. I can partner with the communty
organizations to create summer and spring break camps at the shoreline. I will collaborate with other
partners and experts to offer the communities skills to take care and secure mindful access to
resources of the shoreline.
Purchasing this `aina under the County of Hawaii PONC process would fulfill long-standing
promises to the Pepe`ekeo community of protecting this shoreline into the future.
Mahalo,
Lauren S. Kamei
Recreation Director II
808-936-8955, Lauren.Kamei@hawaiicounty.gov . U
Comm. No.��O a
Ref. To:
Ref. Date 3 7M