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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0988.007 2018-2020X1 17 CO►�tABa From: Farm Life Sent: Monday, July 06, 2020 8:37 AM To: Council Testimony Cc: Chung, Aaron; David, Maile; Eoff, Karen; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Lee Loy, Sue; Poindexter, Valerie; Richards, Tim; Villegas, Rebecca COUNTY CLERK Subject: Testimony in Support of Bill 178 COUNTY 'OF HAWAI' I RECEIVED Time 8 -YOM By Aloha Councilmembers, Date JUL 0 6, 2020 Please support Bill 178 to provide landowners expanded access to financial incentives to preserve and restore our island's forests by including functional forests and successional forests in the advantageous tax rate. Our forests and landcover are critical to the well being of our communities now and in the future. While native forests, and native forest preservation are very important, so are forests that provide functional needs for our communities including food and other culturally important goods and services. Furthermore, encouraging land owners to commit to manage land and remove invasive species even in degraded land or bare lava landscapes is also critical to our future forests and future landscapes. I believe that Bill 178 will incentivize more land owners to dedicate more of their land to restoration and preservation efforts. Given the financial pressures of today` s world, using the tools available such as lower taxes for an expanded definition of forest restoration and preservation seems like a step in the right direction. This is why I strongly encourage you to also support Bill 178 Thank you for your service, Lele Kimball Comm. No. q V 0 Ref. To: ? 1 ?(k, Ref. Date JUL 0 7 2