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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0604.051 1996-1998 ' ~1R~.. Dakini Enterprises ~1e_._~_~'!~'r~!? P.O. Box 1786 oa,~ - `a Pahoa, Hawaii 96778 (808) 969-9282 September 1, 1998 Dear Councilman Yagong: Enclosed with this communication is a letter from the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association, (HOFA), that addresses the organization's stance on the County's impending decision regazding the County acreage in the Hamakua district. After receiving your communication announcing the public meeting on August 28s' in Honokaa, I contacted the main HOFA office and asked that the Board of Directors issue a statement on the matter. Unfortunately, I did not receive their response until after the public meeting in Honokaa. Since the County Council has not yet made a decision regarding the land, I feel it is still appropriate to submit this written testimony and hope that it will be shared with all Council members. I am also enclosing a brochure on the upcoming annual HOFA meeting and conference which takes place on Maui this yeaz (the organization's annual meeting is held on a different island each yeaz). The organization and its organic certification program have continued to gain momentum over its five years existence, with the primary funding coming from membership dues and certification fees. HOFA has grown through the dedication of volunteers and has attracted some highly competent individuals to assist in administering to the needs of the State's organic fazming industry. The success and sustained existence of HOFA is largely due to the fact that it has a wide membership base -people truly wish to support sustainable forms of agriculture which do not use practices and techniques that pose threats to both human health and to the environment. And through legislative action supported by HOFA at the State level, the organic farming industry is now recognized as a bona fide commodity group. Although I am no longer growing organic produce for the local markets due to my full-time position coordinating solaz electric programs and developing new business offerings for HELCO, I continue to produce cut-flower orchids for both local and export markets. I have been an active member of HOFA since its inception and currently serve the certification committee as both an evaluator and farm inspector. We receive approximately two requests for certification a week from farms azound the State and the growth in the number of local organically producing farms pazallels the growth of the organic industry nationwide. Clearly, we need to make the County agricultural lands available for the development of more small and medium size farms engaged in sustainable diversified agriculture. Although well acquainted with the standazds required for organically certified farming, I also have considerable experience in conventional agriculture systems and can assist in directing our current agricultural businesses towards more sustainable methods of production and marketing. I understand that the County is not equipped to administer leases, but see no reason why the County Council can not establish an appropriate mechanism for doing so. The County of Maui currently administers agricultural pazk land in Kula under different terms and conditions than the agricultural pazk lands leased through the State's Department of Agriculture. Additionally, as I am working on several solar electric projects involving County parks, I would like to inject my incredulous reaction to our Mayor's proposal to expand the existing parks. Ahalanui County Pazk in Puna has been mentioned as a candidate for expansion, but in the nearly five yeazs since it was created few of the promised amenities have been added. The park was opened lazgely through the action of community groups and the creation of a public pavilion and ~~I , LCr_ . . office for the Aquatic Safety personnel has never materialized. I am acutely aware of this since HELCO provided a solar electric system for these proposed facilities which has been providing power to an unused and gutted building for over three years. Another example of the backlog of activities facing the County's Department of Parks and Recreation include the stalled contract to install a solaz-powered boat ramp light at Pohoiki. This location boasts the second largest landings of commercial catch in the State and, in spite of the fact that the County Council appropriated the money for the project in March, the comract has not yet been finalized due to inaction by the County's Department of Parks and Recreation. Also, through the relentless persistence of DBEDT's Energy Division, the County has received a grant of over $26,000 from the federal government to buy-down the cost of installing solar-powered lighting in the Bayfront Renovation Project. The terms and conditions of this federal grant were provided to the County's Pazks and Recreation and Planning Departments in May and require that the County develop a contract for the installation of the lights by the end of this calendar yeaz. As yet and to my knowledge, nothing has been done by department representatives to inform the County Council of this `free money' and nothing has proceeded in the way of designs or negotiations. Earlier this yeaz, the County of Maui installed 19 solaz-powered lighting units of the same design that have been proposed for use on the Bayfront and did so without federal subsidies because it was the most cost effective way to provide reliable lighting to a newly completed bikeway. I fear the federal `gift' money will go unused in spite of the fact that our County (not Maui) has been recognized as a role leader in the President's Million Solaz Roofs (MSR) Initiative. As part of our community's recognition as a leader in applications of solaz energy, HELCO has procured $25,000 under the MSR Initiative to facilitate planning a solar electric project for the Big Island which simultaneously will serve to educate the public and promote public awareness of the technology. A community-based advisory group has been formed to develop this MSR `kick- off project and the first concept we have pursued is the introduction of solaz-powered fountains, aerators, and/or waterfalls to provide better circulation to the eutrophic or slimy ponds in Queen Lili'uokalani Park. This proposed project has received enthusiastic response from representatives of the Japanese Tea Garden, the Hotel Association, and the artistic community, who, along with solaz industry and University technical advisors as well as representatives of the State and County, are attempting to develop an implementation plan. Once a plan for improving water circulation is developed by the advisory group, it will require cooperation from the County's Department of Parks and Recreation in order to implement the project. Since we will be providing a well researched solution to an existing problem, as well as partial funding for implementation, we can only hope that the County will be able to assist in making this novel project a reality. The reason why I give these examples about the inadequacies of our existing Department of Pazks and Recreation as funded is not to fault the existing stall; but to point out the inappropriateness of the Mayor's proposal to expand our County Park System. Obviously, we can not improve and maintain the park system we currently have and it would not appeaz that the County's fiscal status is likely to improve in the neaz term. I pray that your realism prevail over this fantasy proposal and, if I can be of any assistance in providing my consulting expertise, please do not hesitate to call upon me. Sincerely, ~z~~Z~ G~~~~`~~ Eileen O'Hora-Weir, Ph.D. Agricultural and Resource Economics RECFJVED ' 11me.._°1..4Rpm gY LGIII Date... ~ : FIIJJ:E'f1 HAWAII ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATION County Coundl Main Office - P. O. Box 984, Haiku, HI 96708 - PhlFax: 808-573-0995 Certification Office - P. O. Box 263, Captain Cook, HI 96704 - Ph: toll free 877-674-4632 http://ddi.digital.netl-planet/hofa.html a-mail: hofa~aloha.net 25 August 1998 Hawaii County Council Council Room, Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street HOFA Baard H110, HI 96720 of Directors 1997-98: Vincent Mina RE: Correspondence to Council for submission in the context of public President hearings on Mayor Yamashiro's proposal to swap Hamakua lands Maui Co-ordinator Don Heacock with Bishop Estates Vice President Kauai Coordinator Dear Council members: Linda Larish Secretary E. HI Coordinator Founded in 1993, the state-wide Hawaii Organic Farmers Steve Wilson Association (HOFA) is nearly 300 members strong and recently received Treasurer recognition from the State of Hawaii as a bona fide agricultural ximEerly Clark, Ph.D. commodity group. A large percentage of our members live on the outer Oahu Coordinator Tom Benton islands, and in particular the Island of Hawaii. We currently have several W. HI Coordinator certified organic farms in the Hamakua district and the influx of requests Roysmith for certification from growers in that area has increased significantly in the Director-at-large last few months. Therefore, our organization strongly supports expanding sustainable diversified agriculture efforts on the former sugar lands of the HOFA Certification Hamakua. Committee: Tans Datta The County's land holdings.in Hamakua represent some of the Chairman Erik Frye most suitable agricultural lands on the island and should not be "given" to Bishop Estates in return for more marginal lands elsewhere on the Eileen o~HOra Island of Hawaii. The County lands (4,423 acres) under consideration in Roysm;th Mayor Yamashiro's plan for a land swap with Bishop Estates should be Tom Renton made aVaiiable to the people of the County cf Hawaii. HOFA has already Alternate shared economic analysis with the County Council which demonstrated Andy Sarhanis Alternate that small-scale diversified agriculture already being conducted on Big Island lands -lands which also lack such infrastructure as County-supplied Diana Dahl water or roads -provides greater returns to our local economy than the Administrator returns generated by off-shore timber companies. HOFA Board We appreciate the fact that the Mayor would like to expand the of rrnsrees: County park system, but the status of numerous County parks that are in Cab Baber various stages of disrepair and renovation speaks for itself (the Hilo Chuck Boerner Bayfront Renovation Project, the 'scummy ponds' at Queen Lili'uokalani Mike Craig Park, Ahalanui County Park that has remained unimproved for over three years, and renovations of the County Park at Pohoiki -just to mention a few. ) Clearly, the Department of Parks and Recreation is too under- funded and under-staffed to deal with its current park system, so expanding that system makes little sense. Please be advised that HOFA and its membership do not support Mayor Yamashiro's proposal for the county lands in Hamakua and ask that you support the people of this island by voting against this proposal. Sincerely, ~r_ Vincent Mina President HOFA Board of Directors 2