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fil~Weii Inva~iv~ ~p~ei¢~ i~lan~?~~msznt ~ <br /> ~du~stion Corp©r~tion ~ fi-tawall ~ot~-JJr'~jil <br /> PO Box 338 -Volcano, Hawaii - 96785 ~ Phone/Fax: 808-985-8596 Email: kim a(~.hismec.org ~ www.hismec.org <br /> DATE: March 14, 2005 <br /> TO: Hawaii County Council Members <br /> HEARING: Monday March 14, 2005 - 5:00 pm <br /> SUBJECT: In support of a Conservation Land Fund <br /> Greetings, <br /> My name is Kim Tavares, president of Hawaii Invasive Species Management & Education Corporation. I am <br /> also a member of the Community Development Hui of Fern Forest, and the Fern Forest Community <br /> Association. I live in Fern Forest, Puna. <br /> As a resident and as a community organizer, I would like to express my strong support for a dedicated land <br /> conservation fund. I would like to see a line item in the Hawaii County Mayor's annual budget to support <br /> conservation land acquisitions. There is no good reason not to replicate this Maui County initiative, as Kauai <br /> County recently has. <br /> A county contribution towards valuable land acquisitions will make a significant difference in whether or not a <br /> sale will go through. In some cases a County match on federal or state funds is required. Whether the County <br /> or another government agency initiates negotiations, County funds can often be matched 1:1:1 (County, State, <br /> Federal) to make an unrealistic goal easily attainable by getting atwo-for-one return on each dollar. This kind <br /> of return is unheard of today with most conventional investments. <br /> Once these lands are sold off and developed, they no longer hold the watershed values they once had. Less <br /> watershed, more development is a recipe for water contamination and water supply shortages in the future, as <br /> the population trend continues to climb. With a fund at the ready, the County can become pro-active in <br /> preserving it's sustainability for many years to come. <br /> I see rapid change happening every day in Puna. At best guess, the population of Fern Forest has doubled since <br /> the last national census. Ag land forests are being mowed down on a daily basis, and watersheds will become <br /> more obviously important very soon. There is no time to delay. Please use your Council powers to develop an <br /> annual budget that includes a reserve fund to conserve these valuable lands when they become available. <br /> Thank you, <br /> Kim Tavares <br /> Resident of Fern Forest, Puna Z <br /> Hawaii Invasive Species Management & Education Corporation (HISMEC) Comm. No. <br /> <br /> Community Development Hui of Fern Forest (CDHFF) Ref. TO: L <br /> Fern Forest Community Association (FFCA) Ref. Date <br /> <br />