HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.626 2018-2020 Murashige, Laura
From: info@ohcf.us
Sent: 1 Wednesday, November 20, 2019 7:46 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: We Oppose Bill 101
Aloha Chair Chung, Vice-Chair Eoff, and members of the Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify in opposition to this measure. We oppose this bill because the
results will be detrimental to public health, conservation efforts, and ultimately, to agriculture, since
although it currently exempts agriculture, the bill, if passed, will undoubtedly use the same misguided
rationale to ban herbicides in farming and ranching. We am also justifiably concerned for our safety
since roadways can quickly become overgrown with weedy plants, causing blind spots for motorists
and pedestrians, which can result in devastating accidents. Furthermore, as farmers and ranchers
who rely upon our precious watersheds, we are concerned that those areas will become severely
neglected and taken over by the many introduced invasive plant species, like miconia, that reduce the
amount of rainwater that will seep into the watershed, if effective herbicides are disallowed. If weeds
are not adequately controlled on County property, these areas will become perfect habitat and
breeding areas for other devastating pests and diseases that will impact Hawaiia€TMs farmers (and
others) and risk the continued viability of our farms and ranches. The passage of Bill 101 will result in
far more problems than it solves. Thank you for taking our concerns and comments into
consideration. Mahalo, Bob and Pam Cooper Kona, HI 96740 yopam@yahoo.com '63 CZ CD
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1 Ref. Dote NOV 2 0 2019.