HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-20 Kona CDP AC Testimony on SB1602 SD1 - Keauhou Aquifer SystemCounty of Hawai‘i
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo,96720
(808) 961-8288 • Fax (808) 961-8742
C. Kimo Alameda, PhD.
Mayor
John Pelletier
Vacant
Heather Korotie
Vacant
Charles Young, Chair
Nancy Pisicchio, Vice-Chair
Charla Thompson
David Huerta
Roselyn Molina
March 20, 2025
The Honorable Kyle T. Yamashita, Chair
House Committee on Finance
Hawaii State Capitol, Conference Room 308
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawai’i 96813
RE: Testimony in Support of SB1602 SD1 RELATING TO THE KEAUHOU AQUIFER
SYSTEM., as amended in HD 1, on 3/18/25
Dear Chair Yamashita and Members of the Committee,
I am Charles Young, Chair of the Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee.
On March 11, 2025, the Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee voted unanimously
to support SB 1602, which appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources
(DLNR) to install two monitoring wells in the Keauhou Aquifer System. It also establishes the
Keauhou Aquifer System Monitoring Program and requires reports to the Legislature, detailing
groundwater levels and water quality analysis in the Keauhou aquifer system.
The public trust doctrine is right of the people to
have the waters protected for their use [which] demands adequate provision for traditional and
customary Hawaiian rights, wildlife, maintenance of ecological balance and scenic beauty, and the
preservation and enhancement of the waters” (HRS 174C-2), aims to protect ecological, cultural, and
social uses of waters.
Much of the Keauhou aquifer system is located underneath the Kona Urban Growth Area (UGA) by
the County General Plan and the Kona Community Development Plan. This land is envisioned for
future urban growth and infrastructure development. At the same time, the Keauhou Aquifer System
is a vital water source that sustains local ecosystems and cultural practices. Therefore, achieving the
balance between high-density development and resource sustainability is critical. The Kona
Community Development Plan Action Committee supports SB1602, which proposes to create a
Keauhou aquifer system monitoring pilot program to enhance our ability to manage groundwater use
within the Keauhou aquifer system sustainably.
Respectively,
Charles Young