HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOR-18-118054 . Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growerst9TROF,1.�1 ICAL FR TT G
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers
PO Box 1162
Captain Cook, Hi. 96704
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To: Hawaii County Dept. of Planning
Windward Planning Commission
Attn: Christian Kay
From: Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association (HTFG)
April 26, 2018
Subject: Hamakua Community Development Plan (CDP)
Dear Mr. Kay:
We of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association are a trade and agricultural
organization dedicated to both the commercial and home production of a multitude of
tropical fruits. These are an important crop in much of the former sugar cane lands of the
Hamakua Coast.
Many of our members live and farm in the three districts covered by the Hamakua CDP.
Although the CDP generally recognizes the critical importance of agriculture, we are
concerned about some sections that seem to contradict its otherwise agriculture -
supportive objectives.
In particular, CDP paragraph 4.5.4, which asks the county to develop "viewshed
regulations", and paragraph 4.5.6, which seeks to discourage "tall, vegetative
windbreaks", are inconsistent with the document's overall goals of supporting
agriculture, watersheds, and our island ecosystems.
The development of "viewshed" regulations and discouragement of windbreaks appears
to be a nod to purely residential interests and fails to address the fact that crop cultivation
in agriculturally zoned lands requires a variety of protections, including windbreaks.
Furthermore, some of our most promising new fruit crops such as durian are themselves
trees that growers may desire to achieve significant height in order to maximize fruit
production.
As the representative organization for myriad farmers in this region, we respectfully
request that you consider the needs of agriculturalists in land zoned for their needs, and
eliminate these potentially damaging sections of what is an otherwise excellent plan to
shape Hamakua's future.
Sincerely
118054
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Ken Love
Executive Director
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers