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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON PLANNING <br /> DATE: December 17, 2019 Re: Comm.No. 651 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Kailua-Kona, Hawaii <br /> TIME: 1:05 p.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Planning,to which was referred Communication No. 651, reports as <br /> follows: <br /> Communication No. 651, dated November 29, 2019, and transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim, <br /> nominates Natalie Kurashima, Ph.D., of Kealakekua to the Hawaii County Cultural Resources <br /> Commission(CRC). If confirmed, she would serve a term to end December 31, 2021, but would <br /> be eligible for reappointment to a full five-year term. <br /> Dr. Kurashima is employed by Kamehameha Schools as an Integrated Resource Manager in the <br /> Natural and Cultural Resources Department. Born and raised in Hawaii, she earned a Bachelor <br /> of Science degree in Conservation and Resources Studies at the University of California at <br /> Berkeley, and earned her Master of Science and doctorate degrees in Botany at the University of <br /> Hawaii at Mdnoa. She is a member of the Democratic Party. <br /> Speaking by telephone, Dr. Kurashima said she was thankful to be nominated for the position. <br /> Her experience for almost the last decade working and volunteering in cultural resource <br /> management and natural resource management has prepared her for this position, and she <br /> appreciated the consideration. <br /> Council Member Tim Richards asked her about her work at The Kohala Center under the Mellon <br /> Fellowships Program. While earning her Ph.D., Dr. Kurashima described her work funded by <br /> Carnegie Mellon Foundation that focused on indigenous agriculture in Hawaii. <br /> Council Member Rebecca Villegas spoke in support of the nomination. She was excited to see <br /> someone of her caliber, experience, and education serving on the commission. She was <br /> especially passionate about her studies and work in restoring ancient agriculture and indigenous <br /> agriculture, which is important to the long-term term resilience and sustainability of our <br /> community, in a way that did not require the require use of herbicides as a necessary tool for <br /> propagation. <br /> Council Member Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder said the Cultural Resources Commission has a very <br /> important part to play within our county, and he hoped to see how Dr. Kurashima could focus <br /> her abilities on the commission. <br /> PC Report No.: 39 <br />