HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0035.15 - Testimony - CA-18 - PONC Maintenance fundFrom: Diga Kern <23.diga@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2019 6:10 PM
To: Charter Commission
Subject: YES ON CA -18
Aloha,
I am a 25 year resident of Puna, Hawaii, and have been involved in habitat restoration children's education work in the
Nanawale Forest Reserve and at Wai 'Opae. Currently, I am working in Halepua'a and am part of a volunteer effort
maintaining the Wai'ele properties which are prioritized for PONC purchase.
Generally speaking, it has been my experience that people who do forestry work here, for the rate of pay that it gives,
are doing the work because they love the forest and are willing to put their bodies forward to see that precious lands are
preserved. You are not going to run into a whole lot of fraud and waste with these maintenance fund dollars.
So, freeing up the money allocation process will, by and large, result in the PONC lands being better cared for. The
possibility of putting in minimal bathroom and water infrastructure is probably also a good idea, for those sites that are
beginning to see a load of public usage. Let's have this great law evolve appropriately; you will find your trust in these
community groups is well-placed.
sincerely,
Geoffrey (Diga) Kern
1 Comm. No. 35.15