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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0220.024 2008-2010 Page `I of 4 t~ Murashige, Laura From: rene siracusa [renesiracusa@hotmail.com] 2039 JUL Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 10:23 AM '9~ u~ To: Puna CDP; County Council Cc: puna-cdp-participants@hcrc.info; napuahoomalu@yahoogroups.com; fer~racres@juho;cor fernforest-hui@yahoogroups.com; kolhawaii@gmail.com; pat.conant@hawaii.gov, tracyjohnson@fs.fed.us; Julie Leialoha; Sheri Mann Subject: RE: [nrwg] Testimony in Opposition to Res. 80-09 [1 Attachment] Thanks for sharing, Kim. Malama O Puna has also submitted testimony in opposition. malama pono, Rene To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us CC: puna-cdp-participants@hcrc.info; nrwg@yahoogroups.com; napuahoomalu@yahoogroups.com; fernacres@juno.com; fernforest-hui@yahoogroups.com; kolhawaii@gmail.com; pat.conant@hawaii.gov; tracyjohnson@fs.fed.us; jakleialoha@hawaii.rr.com; sheri.s.mann@hawaii.gov From: kimtavares@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 12:25:02 -0700 Subject: [nrwg] Testimony in Opposition to Res. 80-09 [1 Attachment] [Attachment(s) from Kim Tavares included below] RECENT ACTIVITY Greetings, Visit Your Group Please provide copies of the attached testimony to County Council committee chair Guy Enriques and members of PWIRC, prior to its Yahoo! Finance meeting on July 7, 2009. It's Now Personal Guides, news, advice & more. Thank you, Yahoo! Groups Kim D Tavares Mom Power Discover doing more for your family Yahoo! Groups From: Kim D Tavares Join peo..ple_o_v_er 40 who PO Box 338 - Volcano, HI - 96785 / are finding ways to stay in shape. kimtavares@yahoo.com / vbg@interpac.net To: Chair Guy Enriques and the Hawaii Council Committee on PWIRC Re: In Opposition to Resolution 80-09 / Ban on Biological Control of Strawberry Guava Date: 2009 July 5 Comm. No. Z20.2W Greetings, Ref. To: Ref. Date JU?q 7/6/2009 Page 2 of 4 I am a member of the 2008 Puna CDP Steering Committee. My role as SC member was as liaison between SC and two working groups, to comprehend and relay the groups recommendations to County planners. I found the "natural" and "cultural" resources working groups to have similar concerns, requiring similar protections. A semblance of the recommendations of both groups have come thru in the September 2008 Puna CDP. One of the greatest threats to the Hawaii county economy is the degradation of its quality scenery. Native ecosystems and cultural land features are destroyed today by poor development choices and introduced invasive species. Weed trees like albizia, bocconia, strawberry guava and miconia are also counter productive to fanning and forestry. Furthermore, degrading the natural environment reduces the chance for rare and unique birds of Hawaii to survive. Environmental conditions during ancient times have already changed drastically, by poorly planned or no-plan development, excessive lighting and noise, and invasive species such as the Coqui, little fire ants and nettle caterpillars. When the building boom slows down there are far more people living in the county than before it began. People who relied on construction jobs for a living are now unemployed and restless. I see and receive reports all the time about natural resources robbery for private gain. Day after day, truck load after truckload, I see resources harvested from the forest off private and government lands. Hapu'u trees of 12" or greater diameter, fiddle heads, old- growth ohi' a trees and koa are some things I've witnessed rolling down the road and out of the forest. It's never truckloads full of strawberry guava. Since natural and cultural resources protection is a monumental task especially in times of rapid development and high land values, I have narrowed my focus to the region where I live, in order to retain a healthy and sustaining forest around my home as best as I can, for as long as I can. Some neighbors appreciate my knowledge and assistance. I do what I do because restoring forest health helps everyone and my energy is contagious. DISCUSSION No government branch is offering to enforce or protect the land, its cultural features or its biodiversity from criminals, however invasive species management and endangered species protection is an active goal of the State Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC). Without enforcement, anyone can waste valuable resources every day of the week until they are gone. Careless people will go into the 7/6/2009 Page 3 of 4 forest, cut and remove the tree ferns, and leave their household garbage behind. In the worst case, Coqui tree frogs infest the garbage and dead vehicles they leave behind with the standing waiawi and hapu'u stumps, leaving a landscape full of nasty weeds and noisy frogs, or a far from relaxing visitor experience. Signs posted that mark places where valued features used to be, is a sad outlook on the future. Let's not go there, please. State or federally funded departments are partnered with private land managers, departments of agriculture, farmers, ranchers and large land owners across the state, to resolve some of the biggest land management challenges, like strawberry guava. Hundreds of jobs in Hawaii focus on good land and natural resource management practices, especially the elimination of invasive species. Hawaiian ecosystems supporting federally listed endangered species deserve no less. If a biological solution is found for one of the widespread and unfunded species, the land management community rejoices in the discovery. It is hopeful that the rate strawberry guava spreads into new areas will be slowed by the effectiveness of T. ovatus on the existing strawberry guava populations. If the discovery somehow works with 100% effectiveness in a very short period of time, that would be impressive. But it's not expected that T. ovatus will even be noticeable for a while. If PWIRC does not heed the words of state or federal research on T. ovatus, then the county needs its own ecologist and other professional natural resource managers to guide it to protecting resources while moving towards a prosperous future in Hawaii County. Everybody wants a healthy environment, but the unreasonable opponents of invasive species control, in particular the T. ovatus opponents, continue to threaten the balance and waste time forcing litigation. How is the vocal majority opinion on what to do about it better for everyone than hard data and good science paid for by our tax dollars? Currently, the County offers no natural resources protection, as that is the responsibility of the State of Hawaii. The state won't enforce or protect private lands from thieves because that is the responsibility of the County. Puna CDP working group Natural Resources recommended the County develop a new department of Natural Resources. Since that would take a good deal of staff and funding, it was not likely to happen. Instead, the Puna CDP plan recommended an Office of County Ecologist, within the Planning Department. That needs to happen immediately. This person needs to act as liaison between County and all other land managers, and provide expert advice to Planning and County Council so decision making can be based on good science and in favor of sustainability. Most places today exist in "onward and upward development" mode, 7/6/2009 Page 4 of 4 as if that is the only type of economy the Puna forests can support. Where is the creativity and imaginations of our elected leaders? Who gets to make decisions that will protect or destroy Hawaiian forest ecosystems forever? ACTION Today the decision to protect Hawaii's forests, or to allow strawberry guava to invade, rests with the PWIRC. Please demonstrate to state and federal officials that this county is dedicated to protecting natural resources and a healthy environment, and striving to retain the highest quality, most natural visitors experience in the state. Hawaii county will be able to boast this for many decades to come, if we refuse to let the invaders spoil it for all time. Please make the right decision, and welcome the release of T. ovatus in Hawaii county. Don't worry about a problem that does not exist. Repeal the resolution or reverse its intent. Do it today. Thank you, Kim D Tavares Attachment(s) from Kim Tavares 1 of 1 File(s) M counciltestimony_80-09_TavaresKD.pdf Messages in this topic (1) Reply via web post )-l Start a new topic Messages I Files I PhotQ_s I Links I Database I Polls, I Members I Calendar MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Disc_ov_or the communityof moms _doing more_f_or their families, for the world and for each other -yXk1p0LGROUPS Change_settngs_via the Web (Yahoo! 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