HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-03 Kona CDP AC Letter to Mayor - Request to Reinstate the Arborist Advisory Committee
County of Hawai‘i
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720 (808) 961-8288 • Fax (808) 961-8742
www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@hawaiicounty.gov
C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D.
Mayor
John Pelletier Raymond Kirchner Heather Korotie Vacant Charles Young, Chair Nancy Pisicchio, Vice Chair Charla Thompson David Huerta Roselyn Molina
October 3, 2025
Office of the Mayor
County of Hawaiʻi 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg C Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Subject: Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee – Request to Reinstate Hawaiʻi County’s Arborist Advisory Committee Aloha Mayor Alameda: At the meeting of the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) Action Committee held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, the Committee voted unanimously to submit the attached letter to the Mayor’s Office.
Sincerely,
Charles Young, Chair Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee
CDP - Kona\Action Committee\Meetings\2025\2025 Communications
Enclosure: Communication No. 2025-22 cc via email: Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Hawaiʻi County Council Chair (District 8) Rebecca Villegas, Hawaiʻi County Council (District 7) Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience Leʻa Kaʻahaʻaina, Tree City State Coordinator
Charles Young (Oct 9, 2025 07:36:28 HST)
Dear Mayor Alameda,
The Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) Action Committee respectfully asks for
your leadership in reinstating Hawaiʻi County’s Arborist Advisory Committee (AAC).
The Exceptional Tree Act of 1975 requires every county to establish this committee, and the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has clarified that without it,
Hawaiʻi County cannot complete its Tree City USA application. Other counties have long
carried this designation with pride, and we believe Hawaiʻi County should stand alongside them in demonstrating its commitment to stewardship.
Tree City USA status showcases a basic framework for community forestry work that
communities can leverage to maintain and increase funding for community programming.
The AAC must be reinstated by the end of this month and hold their first meeting shortly after so that we can show their activity before the upcoming Tree City application deadline.
If you need help finding members, we suggest reinstating past members of the AAC as
their knowledge of the committee’s prior work may help new members onboard more quickly. We also recommend reaching out to the Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program (www.kaulunani.org) for a list of potential members that satisfy the AAC’s member requirements. Previous members of the AAC may also have recommendations for willing community members with active participation in ecological sciences.
Your leadership in reestablishing the Arborist Advisory Committee will ensure Hawaiʻi County meets state requirements and joins the statewide legacy of communities proudly recognized as Tree City USA.
Mahalo for your attention to this important request.
Sincerely,
Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee
Communication No. 2025-22