Grading & Grubbing Testimony this Monday, May 19

[Mitzi M]

From what I have read, the Native Forest Protection Ordinance does focus on NATIVE forest. There's a line in there that says under this plan you'll be able to cut down your "buffer zone" if it's not native forest. Basically, it would require a plot plan, an inspection to evaluate what vegetation and other features are on your property and a land disturbance permit.

I'm not a huge fan of more government all up in our business but I'm also regularly horrified by what I see happening to the land here. Most of the people I've worked with really do WANT to save the natives on their land but it turns out to be harder than you'd think to make that happen. More than once I worked on a project where unbeknownst to them, the person's land was already partially cleared by a neighbor's dozer operator. I see situations all the time where owners who asked the contractor to leave certain trees or areas untouched came back to find they were dozed anyway. Once they're cut down, our native forests grow back very slowly (if at all). It won't happen in our lifetimes. Because of the many invasive species, it may not happen at all.

One of the first things people with cleared property ask me to help them with is screening from roads and neighbors. They want fast screens and shade trees. Often they aren't even aware of what used to be there before the dozer. It may not be perfect, but this ordinance seems to be pretty well thought out. It seems like a lot of people have put some good thought and work into it and I think it's at least a good starting point. Ohia forest does seem abundant here on the Big Island. If you are oblivious to how lucky that makes us, go try and find ohias on Oahu.