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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0124.007 2004-2006 fil~Weii Inva~iv~ ~p~ei¢~ i~lan~?~~msznt ~ ~du~stion Corp©r~tion ~ fi-tawall ~ot~-JJr'~jil PO Box 338 -Volcano, Hawaii - 96785 ~ Phone/Fax: 808-985-8596 Email: kim a(~.hismec.org ~ www.hismec.org DATE: March 14, 2005 TO: Hawaii County Council Members HEARING: Monday March 14, 2005 - 5:00 pm SUBJECT: In support of a Conservation Land Fund Greetings, My name is Kim Tavares, president of Hawaii Invasive Species Management & Education Corporation. I am also a member of the Community Development Hui of Fern Forest, and the Fern Forest Community Association. I live in Fern Forest, Puna. As a resident and as a community organizer, I would like to express my strong support for a dedicated land conservation fund. I would like to see a line item in the Hawaii County Mayor's annual budget to support conservation land acquisitions. There is no good reason not to replicate this Maui County initiative, as Kauai County recently has. A county contribution towards valuable land acquisitions will make a significant difference in whether or not a sale will go through. In some cases a County match on federal or state funds is required. Whether the County or another government agency initiates negotiations, County funds can often be matched 1:1:1 (County, State, Federal) to make an unrealistic goal easily attainable by getting atwo-for-one return on each dollar. This kind of return is unheard of today with most conventional investments. Once these lands are sold off and developed, they no longer hold the watershed values they once had. Less watershed, more development is a recipe for water contamination and water supply shortages in the future, as the population trend continues to climb. With a fund at the ready, the County can become pro-active in preserving it's sustainability for many years to come. I see rapid change happening every day in Puna. At best guess, the population of Fern Forest has doubled since the last national census. Ag land forests are being mowed down on a daily basis, and watersheds will become more obviously important very soon. There is no time to delay. Please use your Council powers to develop an annual budget that includes a reserve fund to conserve these valuable lands when they become available. Thank you, Kim Tavares Resident of Fern Forest, Puna Z Hawaii Invasive Species Management & Education Corporation (HISMEC) Comm. No. Community Development Hui of Fern Forest (CDHFF) Ref. TO: L Fern Forest Community Association (FFCA) Ref. Date