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In response to someone who posted on another thread, I thought I would start a new one., The D9 bulldozer, not a whole lost worse except a bigger one. It erases a lot of what is here that makes Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i. It erases the ‘o‘hia, the lama, the ‘akia, the hala, the hau. the kopiko, the kolea and much more. Makes a clean slate for someone who has raped the land it and made it there’s. Sad thing is that many people don’t know that they are harming the environment when they clear so much. The native environment is also important for the few endangered speces that still inhabit or use coastal environments (where we are). The ‘io (federally listed-endangered Hawaiian hawk), ‘ope‘apa‘a (federally listed endangered Hawaiian hoary bat) still find their home here. The ‘apa‘pane and the ‘amakihi, native b irds that still come down to the lowland to feed in the day, all depend on what is left of the forest here. When people come and bulldoze 20 acres here and there of what is left of the forest, everything suffers for it. It is so very sad.
The first question I always have to ask is why? Why does a person buy, say, a 20 acre parcel that is covered in native forest and clear it? Why, if a person wants cleared land, do they not buy a parcel that has already been totally cleared, like old farm land, papaya or sugar cane land? Why? Why ruin more land? Why destroy the vestiges of what is left of the native forest? I really need an answer to this. Is it just ignorance? Is it greed? Is it just having to do SOMETHING no matter what it is? Please, this has happened so much, I would really like to hear from people who have just erased acres of the native forest and understand why they want to do that.
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Maybe they're just trying to kill those damn frogs. 
Aloha
Richwhiteboy
"I think there's something strangely musical about noise."-
Trent Reznor
“Sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes it feels real good.”
- Henry Rollins
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Right, wrong or indifferent, when someone chooses to shape their possession to their ideal, who is justified to tell them "No"? You may not like it, but it is still a relatively free county.
Personally, I think stripping the land is ugly. But that is JUST my opinion.
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I understand your point Shekelpal and would agree.
Certainly everyone has the "right" , I suppose , to clearcut their lot and make it ugly as sin .
No hand clearing, nor saving of one tree, orchid, or bush.
Hawaii is natural beauty defined , thats why I love it.
Unfortunately , many of these clearcut lots never even get landscaped in some form or fashion.
Now I am not a "tree hugger" , but just love to landscape and view plants , flowers and trees.
In the end, everyone has their own "aesthetic". I , for one, would not paint my home in these very vibrant colors that you see occasionally .
I would hope that builders / developers / lot owners attempt to save as much as possible.
Greg
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People who have studied this subject say that a large number of these destructive clearings in the Volcano area are the result of speculators who, upon buying a patch of pristine jungle, feel the need to "improve it" before putting it back on the market for quick profit. Dozing is cheap and quick.
Many of these investors do not live here and have not, in fact, seen the lots.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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John Rabi might be most qualified to respond on this.
S. FL Islander to be
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
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It seems to be fairly common here in HPP for people to clear lots and then not build on them for a very long time, if ever. At the height of the most recent speculative real estate frenzy, several lots on our road (and elsewhere) were clear cut bulldozed and then nothing happened. I suppose that the owners realized that the days of overnight spec turnover were done with and decided to cut their losses. These lots are already sprouting young albezia trees and other undesirable vegetation.
Just out of curiosity, the Bear and I talked to a lady who has lived on this road for 20 years. She pointed out a number of vacant lots now covered by huge albezia trees that had been clear cut and then left without building or maintenance. Clear cutting leaves a perfect avenue for albezia growth, as if the problem were not already bad enough.
Yes, people do have the right to do as they please under current laws in Hawaii County. Educating people about better ways to build would help, but the people who need it most would probably not listen. Other communities have tree ordinances that limit clear cutting and/or require "offset planting" of non-invasive species which provide quick coverage without taking over the whole area. Big brother? Perhaps, but everything from watersheds to heat signitures benifits.
Just some thoughts and observations.
Cheers,
Jerry
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quote:
John Rabi might be most qualified to respond on this.
S. FL Islander to be
I sure am! Don't hate the land owner! I have built many homes in Puna and it has been a constant struggle with the builders. All THEY ever wanted to do and did most of the time was just to bulldoze everything regardless of the plans I GAVE THEM BEFORE the clearing! They always had some excuses why it couldn't be done the way I wanted it and why they had to bulldoze almost everything. With one builder, Tony Vicar, (after almost fully bulldozing three lots for me) it got to the point that I sent him a registered letter indicating that I will not pay for the clearing if it's not done the way I wanted it, no ifs, no buts. (That was the last house he built for me.) The truth is, builders and landclearing people are probably more responsible for the ripping of the land than the owners.
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,PB
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
75-5870 Walua Road, Suite 101
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(808)327-3185
Edited by - John S. Rabi on 01/31/2007 16:16:51
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I agree with Shekepal. The only way to stop such destruction is to get a land use planning law, so maybe you should try and get one started.
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I wish the people that are building, especially those building 'spec homes' would realize that fully-cleared lots a freakin' ugly and no one will want their house.
John Rabi builds spec houses and like he's said, he keeps as much native forest as he can around his property because the forest is pretty to see from the house, it muffles sound and there's pretty birds in the forest. And you can bet that his houses get shown and sold a lot more than those butt-ugly naked lots with a house plopped down in the middle of them. Can you tell this is something that irritates me?
I think that there is nothing more ugly in Hawaii than a ripped cleared lot that used to be native forest. I built in Fern Acres a few years ago and had a talented dozer operator just cut in a nice driveway, housepad area and some areas for gardening, etc. I probably cleared one acre out of the six acres I had. The other five were left as native forest. But John Rabi is right, I had to interview several people for the dozer work before I found one that grasped what I was trying to do. I'm sure I paid more for it, but its SO worth it.
John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com
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