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Murashige, Lauraµ'
From: Greg Hendrickson <greg@ghendricksonlaw.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 2:52 PM
To: Council Testimony; David, Maile; Kanuha, Dru; Eoff, Karen
Cc: 'Robblee, Mary - NRCS, Kealakekua, HI'
Subject: Funding for Hawaii County's Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Aloha Councilmembers,
This Friday, July 24th, the Hawaii County Council will have the opportunity to approve funding for the work of the Soil
and Water Conservation Districts on Hawaii Island. I urge your approval of these critical financial resources we rely on to
ensure that the District can continue to provide high quality service to Hawaii Island's private resource land
owners. This money is efficiently employed under careful supervision of the Districts' Boards to deliver effective
resource planning and education for our island.
Since the late 1930s, after authorization by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soil and Water Conservation Districts have
assisted communities across the county to grapple with their most serious resource conservation challenges. Today
there are more than 3,000 Districts in the United States, six of which are here on Hawaii Island. The resource issues that
we face in Hawaii are unique and require careful consideration and on -the -ground experience to manage and to solve —
the island's six Districts provide just that. Our local resource concerns include soil development and health, water
retention and quality, the importance of protecting endangered species, global warming, invasive species management,
and food security, to name a few. These must all be managed in the context of the fragile economics of island
agriculture. As individuals that face these issues everyday on Hawaii Island landscapes, District Board Members can
help local resource landowners navigate these concerns and find success.
It has been a privilege for me to serve on the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District (KSWCD) Board for many years
and to presently serve as its Chairman. As a volunteer board member, I have had the opportunity to be on many farms,
forestlands, and pasturelands in Kona. The conscientious farmers, foresters, and ranchers that own and manage these
properties care deeply about the land that they steward. They look to the District to provide education, support,
encouragement, and planning for their conservation efforts. The KSWCD Board is an example of a board that is well
equipped to provide these services as its five members have extensive experience in resource planning, land
management, engineering, finance, law, silviculture, pasture management, crop and orchard production, conservation
and so on. We look forward to continuing to provide these services for our community.
Please support the funding for Hawaii Island's Conservation Districts.
Best regards,
Gregory D. Hendrickson
Chairman
Kona Soil and Water Conservation District
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