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Murashige, Laura
From: Halyna [halyna@isp01.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 6:22 AM 2009 JUL B l1 33
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: re; Resolution 80-09
Aloha Council Person:
With a lengthy involvement in agriculture I would like to ask that you follow through with Resolution 80-09 to
ban biocontrol of relatives of the O'hia.
The Pacific Southwest Research Station's only interest in this matter is that of using grant money which will
keep them in work, monitoring the devastation this WILL cause, for 10 years. Regardless of the outcome, they get
paid.
Insects, creatures with short life spans are able to evolve rapidly; their survival depends on it. The proposed
scale subject doesn't need the opposite sex to produce progeny. This fact alone suggests that this particular
breed is highly adaptable. The research station has studied the scale in application to 80 species of plants. With
approximately 375,000 discovered species of plants on Earth and 289 endangered species in Hawaii alone,
studying the application in 80 plants would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. This is hardly efficient or accurate
considering the scope and irreversibility of the application.
What I do could be called research and development, on a very small scale, with plants. For me, growing a new
plant from seed, watching it grow to maturity and monitoring its capacity in Hawaii is the making of a new
acquaintance (a passion, for self). Because of climactic similarities some of the plants I work with are from South
America. I have found 2 plants which could be agricultural money-makers here on our island: Sangre de Drago,
already a patented medicine and Yerba Mate, a tea. Point being, both specie do very well and are not invasive
here. When I asked the research station if either of these 2 could become fodder for the scale, I never received an
answer.
Consider the appearance aspect: even if the scale remained only on the waiwe look at how hideous the
appearance. Is this going to improve tourism or real estate? Once the scale starts moving to O'hia the entire point
of this dangerous experiment will cease to exist. Our island could look like post-war in 2 to 3 decades. What a
lovely landscape to leave our children to deal with.
Thank you for your consideration.
Halyna Kuheana
P.O. Box 968
Kurtistown, HI 96760-0968
Comm. No.
2S
Ref. To:
Ref. Date UL 0 8 Z_
7/8/2009