HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0392.033 2014-2016Murashige, Laura
From: nate hayward <manaodesignbigisland@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 12:25 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support Bill 71
Aloha Council Members, my name is Nate Hayward and I am a father of two, small business owner, and vice
president of the Kohala chapter of the Hawaii Farmers union united. I have greatly appreciated the opportunity
on previous occasions to testify at council chambers in reference to herbicide issues and am heartened to see the
council taking a proactive approach to this pressing issue. I am writing today in support of bill 71, an idea
whose time has truly come. We see the effects of herbicides daily here in Kohala, where the schoolkids walk
home next to a six foot wide strip of dead grass and the no spray signs are often ignored by road crews. The
mountain road has a tripadvisor review page of its own because people enjoy it so much, but upon closer
inspection it is a 19 mile long herbicide showcase. Farm Tour guests often ask me about why the roadsides are
all dead, and are surprised when i explain how prevalent herbicide use is in both public and private spaces.
I was at Waimea farmers market two weeks ago with my 2 and a half year old daughter. She loves running
on the grassy lawns in and around the market, but we usually stay away from the buildings and fencelines of
Parker school due to evidence of consistent herbicide use. This time they had also sprayed an 18 inch border
along each side of every path, making it impossible to avoid walking through it. All around us barefoot children
ran and played, people sat in the grass eating, etc. I spoke to the market manager who had heard a few other
comments that day and promised to speak with the maintenance manager for Parker school. This is just a few
hours of activity on a saturday morning, but this is a school, kids, teachers and parents are there all week long,
walking through the dead grass...
There is a perception among many that certain popular herbicides are safe enough to drink, in fact that
quote comes to me from my neighbor, a long time maintenance worker at the Mauna Kea. Reminds me of my
grandfather who commonly used DDT in his orchards where my father grew up, never thought twice in the 50's
and 60's, had alzheimers by the 80's and couldn't barely recognize his son, let alone his grandson, me. I want a
better legacy for my children and all the children of this island.
Please act now and support Bill 71, we have an obligation to the keiki, the aina, and an opportunity to be a
model for a new and healthier approach to herbicide use statewide.
Mahalo, Nate Hayward
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