HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0021.130 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fundFiona Broward
7th grade
Volcano School of Arts and Sciences
96785
February 7, 2019
Charter Commissioners
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Aloha Commissioners,
Regarding; 2% Land Fund Program
I am Fiona Broward, my parents are John Broward and Jeanette Gilbert and we
live in Volcano, Hawaii. I go to Kawa about twice a month and I am so grateful for
my teachers for introducing me to this special place. Kawa is important to me, my
family, my teachers, and the community because it's an important piece of history,
and it's where many people learned to fish, or learned different medicinal herbs.
It's a place where my middle school has learned about different animals and plants.
We work with Na Mamao o Kawa to learn how to take care of our community and
how to malama the aina.
Kawa is a beautiful natural place and a significant ancient Hawaiian village. We
need the funding to help Kawa continue to be the beautiful, undeveloped home of
memories. I know Hawai'i depends a lot on tourism, and Kawa could be a huge
benefactor of this. I feel tourists would love to see an ancient Hawaiian village
which is REAL, and not some touristy destination like the Hilton. It's a place filled
with animals, and native Hawaiian plants. It's truly a beautiful, historic sight.
Since Kawa is a beautiful home to many animals, memories and cultural
practice I respect it deeply and don't want it turned into some big overdeveloped
place. There are so many places all over the big island that are just like Kawa and
Comm. No. 21.130
some of them, probably most of them, are not protected from being developed into
places for hotels or overpriced homes. More than half of all voters on the Big
Island don't want this either, they don't want the Big Island turning into Kauai,
Oahu, or even Maui. These three places are not that affordable and locals have to
work about three jobs just to pay for homes they probably don't even own. If you
continue the fund and purchase more places like Waikapuna, the Big Island won't
be turned into them.
Kawa is a very special place and I hope that future generations will visit Kawa
and many other special places. This is only possible if you don't drop the 2%
percent land fund and continue to fund groups like Na Mamao o Kawa. Since we
have been down there, we have worked on springs, planted many native plants,
cleared overgrown vegetation, picked up garbage and learned about ancient
Hawai'i. I hope that kids in the future will be lucky enough to be able to have the
same experiences as my class and I.
Mahalo, Fiona