HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0021.139 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fundCharlotte Ross
7th Grade
Volcano School of Arts & Sciences
February 7, 2019
Charter Commission
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Dear Commissioners,
Regarding: 2% Land Fund Program
My name is Charlotte Ross, my parent is Selene Ross and we live in Pahala. I
am grateful to go to Kawa because I get to learn about new things twice a month,
and I get to go out into nature while in school. Kawa is important to the community
because it is very old, beautiful, barely touched by people, and a great place to
teach people about nature.
Every month we go to Kawa twice to help clean the beach, plant native plants
around the area, try to help stop beach erosion, and clean the springs. When we
first came to Kawa, it was very overgrown and there was trash everywhere. Now
after we have been going to it for a while, it looks way better than it was before.
Every time we go to Kawa we are helped out and guided by Kumu James, Uncle
Duane and Clarissa Pua.
When the 2% Land Fund had first been approved, 63% of people voted to keep
it. The Land Fund is very important because it pays people who don't want it to be
built upon and to clean it up. Waikapuna is a 2,000 acre piece of land in Ka'u that
the Land Fund should purchase to keep it preserved and clean. At Kawa, there are
many plants, like milo, alahe'e, and wiliwili that wouldn't be there if the Land
Fund did not buy it.
In conclusion, you shouldn't take away the Land Fund because it keeps many
pieces of land wild with no disturbance of the outside world that is developing
quickly. I hope to one day see Kawa as a place where there is no disturbance from
the outside world.
Mahalo, Charlotte
Comm. No. 21.139