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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0042.070 2004-2006 Y VIRGINIA ISBELL _ Phone: 326-5684 ('nunmlm•mber r PAX: 329-478G OFFICE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL County of Xawai'i A'nnu Trudr (;tlnler 75-!OJ Hanama Y[acz, it [OJ Kailua-Kano, Xawai'i 9G74o _ _ - January 19, 2005 Viufucsimile: 961-8912 - Pugea: 6 ` " MEMORANDUM: TO: Gary Safaril:, Chairman and Members of the Hawaii County Council /N .(ient'~ FROM: Virginia Isbell, Council Member ~ District 7 `U, t~,„~~ SUBJECT: Hawaii CountxGene~{~ Plan- Bill 163. Draft 4 Attached please find three letters regazding the subject referenced, which were hrought into the Kona ohTice this afternoon for submittal as testimony. Please have these communications numbered in reference to Bi11 163, Draft 4, and circulated to all Council Members before the Friday, January 21, 2005, Council meeting. Thartk you I'ur yuur assistance h~ this matter. The originals will follow by pouch. Artachment Comm. No. ~ •~0 Ref. To: PreseNt Ref. Uate .IAN 2 i0 39tid OON LHS9LE SS~4T S00L/6T/i0 KONA COUNTY FARM BUREAU P.O. Box 2341 Kealakekuw Hawaii 96750 phone: 3246011 Fax: 322-9633 Email: bifbCe?verizon,n~ January 15, 2005 Chairman Gary Safarik I~Iawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 RED Hawaii County General Plan, Bill 163 Dear Chairman Safarik and Members of the Hawaii County Council: The Rona Coumy Farm Bureau Boazd of Directors appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony to the Hawaii County Council in favor of Bill 163, Draft 4, our new General Plan for the County of Hawaii. The Kona County Farm Bureau operates under the Hawari Farm Burew Falaa~ation Policies for the State of Hawaii. Section 1 of those Policies states that: "Land is one of the greatest rCSOLLCCCS possessed by the people of Hawaii.... Agricultural laude should be proteMOtl and kept in agriculture.... Government policies should strongly restrict agriculturally zoned land to that. purpose only." Within Bill 163, the additional Goals and Policies included as part of the chapter on Agriculture provide the framework that can serve to fultlU policies supported by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and enhance the agricultural industry around the lsland of Hawaii. Within the General Plaa's propostd Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Maps (LUPAG), the addition of the Important Agriciilttrral Lands denotation is long overdue and should greatly assist the County in planning for the expanding diversified agricultural industry. The Kona County Farm Bureau would like to suggest that any future amendments to the boundaries denoting Important Agricultural Lands as represented in Bill 163, Draft 4 be Z0 39t1d OON L69S9ZE SS:bt S00Z/6t/t0 undertaken through a comprehensive, regional planning process, and that parcel by parcel re- deaotadone be discouraged. The Kona County Farm BuCeau louks forward to worleing with tho Hawaii County Council in the implementation of agticultutally oriented Croak and Bolicies included within the Hswau County General Plan. Sin c~//rely yours, Nancy Pisicchio, President Kona. County Farm Bureau E0 39dd OON L69S9LE SS~bT S00L/6T/T0 • • • i 81 A46 Waena'Oihana Loop Ht 01 Keelakekue, HI %760 - (808) 322.2484 -FAX (806) 322-3738 January 18, 2005 o O c3ary Safarik, Chairman ~y ~r^~'^^ 'Y~^^xHawaii Courty Council 2$ Aupuni Strxt isuxu Y i Kilo, Hi 96720 oou,rrr ar iurx i- 4m C Y Y. C. Wsb¢I Re: Bill 163, Pr,t4 4 ----Dear Chairman Safarik attd Members of the Hawaii County Council: Th~_Koipa Soil and Water Conservation District {K,SWCD) Bond of Directors support tlu Couuty ..Council's; xg~roval of Bill 163, Drag 4. i ` The KSWCD.-is a Qovcrnrxntal subdivision of the State of Hawaii organized under Chapter I80 of Hawaii Stetc law. Under Chapter 180, the Hawaii Soil and Water Conservation Districts have bcm gantpd thF power to: ~ ~ ~ y' Provide for and encourage surveys, iuveadgatiotts, and roscarch relating to soil and water ` ~ caoscrvation;,,and publish end dissaninete Information concerning such subjects; Develop plans for ~ • ~:-eonservatirnt cif coil sod water resources and control and Drevention of erosion within the district...." ;Ttie-l{SWCD contains 513,000 acres of land on the Western flank of the Ifilattd of Hawaii. The , ~ Mission of Jhe District is to "increase knowledge and awareness, through nducalion, of natwul . , ~ resouifle stewardship practices and resource rnanagenteat tools in order to minimize soil erosion, fr within tht increase the development end wise use of Water resources and limit damage om Bo~IR North and South Kane Disaicts." The KSWCD stands in support of Pulicip ctxuniual wilhiu toe Chapter titled; flooding and Ocher Natural Hazards, begmnutg on page 85 of Hill 163. The District is very excited about expanding an aetivt parfnorship with the County in order to assist in the implementation of those Policies. We are ! vqy intucstui in assisting the Courtly with en overhaul of the Grubbing and Grading Ordittattce. ~'Y~' We wish [o invite represeoratlves of the County govwument as wc11 as uretubcrs oe We [lawaii County Council to attrmd our morahly Board of Diroctors' meetings held on the secaKi Tuesday of each rtuxith at 4pm at the NRCS and KSWCD ogices in Kealakekua. Sioceroly,/~~~. Bob Nelson, President b0 3hCd 0071 L6959LE SS~bL S00L/6Z/i0 ~ LAND ' ~ a ~ r' Post Qffict Box 895 I-lonaunau, HI 69'726 sox-s2s-96ss January 17, 2005 Gary Safarik Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 RE: Bill 163 Dear Chairman Safarik and Members of the Hawaii County Councilo The Kona Land Trust strongly supports the adoption of Sill 163, Draft 4 by the Hawaii county Council. The Kona Land Trust is a community-based, non-political, nonprofit organization formed to Facilitate the preservation and stewardship of open space; agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands; and culturally and historically significant areao that are important for present and future gsnrrati~n.a through an inclusive approach to land preservation on the island of Hawaii. with the adoption o! this new Hawaii County General Plan, we look forward to the county actively "Encourag (i.ng) an now roll conservation ethic in the use of 'Hawaii's natural resources...". The Kona Land Trust is in the position to provide incentives to land owners and assisting the County in making this ethic a reality. The Kona Land Trust has been established to help provide property owners with Conservation Easements tailored to both satisfy the tlesires os the landowner and meet the special preservation needs o! the land. The Trust also accepts easement of gifts of land that serve the landowner's estate planning needs. The Kona Land Trust is looking forward to working with the County to develop a program where by landowners may dedicate or l.ranaLex development rights on property identified by the County as r_.ontaininq re.saur~ea in nw_ed of prote~tinn. S0 39Cd 0011 L6959LE SS:4T S00L/6T/T0 z Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or ideas as to how the Kona Land Trust can serve the priorities identified as paYC of the GouuLy'a preservation and plannin7 goals. Sincerely, Dr. Richard Bennett, Executive Director Cc Board of Directors 90 39dd OON L69S9ZE SS:bT 500Z/6T/T0