Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0254.002 2018-2020 p/ FG COUNTY CLERK 044.254 COUNTY OF HAWAII RECEIVED From: Noa Kekuewa Lincoln Time :WMM By I l To: Council Testimony Date 1 /(Z/©�/6G! Subject: Testimony for Res.155-19 Date: Monday,May 06,2019 11:33:07 AM My name is Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, a professor at the University of Hawaii, testifying on behalf of myself as an individual. This testimony is in support of Res. 155-19 for the negotiations for the acquisition of land or conservation easements for the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. This location has been a key community resource for a region (Kona) that is general has very little upland conservation and public spaces. Furthermore, the Amy Greenwell Garden has served as an important meeting place for plant conservation and cultural practice, and perhaps most importantly the dialogue between the two, for several decades. The announced sale of the Garden by the Bishop Museum prompted a strong community response and led to the formation of the Friends of Amy BH Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, and non-profit that has worked diligently to raise over 1.3 million dollars for the purchase of the Garden. Additional conservation easements would ensure the long term protection of this important site, which has growth to include hundreds of endemic and indigenous plant species, many of which are endangered, and world-class collections of Polynesian crop cultivars. The location has been used to support research, a tremendous amount of education, ongoing conservation, and community events. I urge the council to do everything it can to aid in the preservation of this beloved land. Me ka mahalo nui, Noa Kekuewa Lincoln Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, PhD Assistant Researcher, UH Manoa, CTAHR Associate Researcher, Ngai Tahu Research Centre, University of Canterbury 808.217.7710 nlincoln@hawaii.edu -We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,we borrow it from our children- Res. 155-19: AUTHORIZES THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LAND OR CONSERVATION EASEMENT(S) FOR ALL OR A PORTION OF THE PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED AS TAX MAP KEY NOS. 8-2-013:014; 8- 2-013:002; 8-2-013:003; 8-2-014:043; AND 8-2-015:059 SITUATED IN KEALAKEKUA, DISTRICT OF SOUTH KONA, ISLAND AND COUNTY OF HAWAII, ALSO KNOWN AS THE AMY B. H. GREENWELL ETHNOBOTANICAL GARDEN, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 42, HAWAII COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS • AMENDED The County would join the Friends of the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden to acquire the property in whole or conservation easements to perpetuate traditions and customary native Hawaiian practices that sustain rare and native plant species. Reference: Comm. 254 Intr. by: Ms. David 5� Comm. N�i2J Ref. To: 1'l/ Ref. Date MAY 0 6 2019