Bulldozing

[JerryCarr]

It's interesting to see that the dozer operators charge more to basically do less work. Perhaps it takes more finesse to artfully carve out just a driveway and housepad/garden, but why would it necessarily cost more than ripping a whole lot? It seems like the overall fuel cost would be less, and so would the time required. Sounds like the operators have a racket of some sort going. Somebody could make a lot of money with an honest business that said, "Lots cleared with environmental sensitivity for no additional cost (or less.)"

Cheers,
Jerry

[toucano]

A lot across the street from me was just ripped. Not tree one left. Lot line to lot line. All of the border ohias are gone. I feel sorry for the woman next door in a nice house who will be soon be looking into her neighbors house.

But in construction, time is money. The D-9 and an excavator were in and out in less than 2 days. Leveled and the septic installed. 5 days later the piers are being formed.

Even though this is being done fast, I can tell that the builder is not a hack and it will be a well built house. He is a native Hawaiian. I don't know if this is a spec house or being built for a lot owner. Regardless, it seems silly and wasteful to me to not at least TRY to save some native vegetation. I guess the good thing is that the new owner won't need to worry about cleaning leaves out of their gutters for a few years.

[sansei]

There are already laws in place to protect endangered species, watershed, water quality and etc. The problem is a lack of will to enforce the regulations that are already there. There is a list of organizations that review permit applications at the Building Department. Conspicuously missing is the Department of Land and Natural Resources that is charged with doing all the non-Public Health related environmental action.

The problem with zoning and building in general is that the county collects more taxes on finished homes than on raw land. Ever noticed how the only government job that gets done on time is the tax assesor notice in your mail as soon as you are finaled?

The problem is not unique to Puna. Why were people allowed to build homes in flood susceptible areas of New Orleans? California is scrambling to find money to upgrade levies around homes built in flood plains. The answer is all local government desire to collect tax dollars.

Clearing more than 1 acre requires a Grubbing Permit so check and file a complaint if there is none. Ask why DLNR does not get involved with permitting. It is your government and it is up to you to make it work right and to make noise if it doesn't. Don't stop with posting on the forum. Write emails and letters to your representatives.

[malolo]

It's an intelligence-thing, I think.

Either you see the value and the beauty and the importance and the interconnectedness of everything that's evolved here in the Hawaiian islands over the eons or you don't.

If you don't, I feel nothing but pity for you.
Well, that of course...and disgust.

You're going to "improve" on nature?
Ha! Good luck.

Long-gone civilizations are snickering as we speak.
And your grandchildren are shaking their heads.

[Scott_S]

I have a 3 acre lot in HA, one acre is hand cleared, I will have one acre ripped, and I will leave one acre alone. I wouldn't even rip the one acre but there are no real level areas to work with.

Scott

[John S. Rabi]

Jerry, why I wouldn't call it a "racket" it is something more like human nature. Spend the less possible time with work to make the most possible money. Instead of artfully carving a driveway, making an "island" here and there and clearing a house pad, it's much faster (and easier) just to go in there and bulldoze most everything in no time.

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

[Shekelpal]

Aloha,
If you live in Alaska or some other area where there is a vast amount of open space, there may still be the feeling that what you do, does not really have any impact. The first western settlers in Africa or the Amazon were amazed at what an incredibly vast continent they were on. The impact of their small world compared to that vastness was nothing, at first anyway. We are on a small island here, though it is called the Big Island, and it should be so much more obvious that we consider the impact of each and every one of us. It is easy to say, “I want 20 acres of this native ‘ohia/hala forest cleared, that is what I want,”, and not consider that maybe it is not all about just what I want - it is also about the land, the environment and culture that was here long before. And maybe it is about finding the right place. There is plenty of land that is for sale that has been totally cleared already, acres and acres of it, so it just makes common sense that if you are happy with a large clearing around you, or you want to start an orchard or vegetable farm, or raise horses or cows, that you look for previously cleared land. Like I said, it is a small place, and that makes everyone’s impact far greater. A person may have paid for a lot and have a deed, but this land remains Hawaiian land and it is just, I think, respectful to be as considerate of that as possible.

In an ideal world, at least with this government, the County & State would enforce their own rules, and long ago would have had more sensible planning - as Sansai & JerryCarr pointed out - and would at least be proactive and distribute a brochure that could help educate people when they purchase a lot (not that this would help with speculators), informing them about the importance of keeping what is left, how to find out which trees are native and which are invasive weed trees, why native birds need native forest so they will not follow the way of many other species that have become extinct, and how important it is to not desecrate Hawaiian burial sites that could be anywhere bulldozers just go in.

[Keith]

With all the evidence about global warming it's becoming apparent that clearing off the native plants and trees is only contributing to the problems that we and our children will be facing. The challenge is to see if we can slow down this down the changes that are going to be taking place in our environment.

Cutting down the old growth forest and leveling out the land in Hawaii may not seem like it's going to make a huge impact world wide, but those changes on a local level are huge. That forest contributes to erosion control that and protection of habitat.

For our part we are going to plant native trees and plants before we even start building our home and only disturb the least amount of land that we can get away with .

Keith

[Kapohocat]

There are some laws in effect already to regulate "bulldozing".... the COH engineering dept can be a wealth of information but the gist of the most basic one with regards to lot clearing is you need a permit with a grading plan/permit if:
1) you move more than 100 cy of material
2) you change water flow in or out of your lot
3) you grade more than a driveway and housepad (usually they want one if it is over an acre).....

This said - not many people adhere to this - and it isnt enforced at all unless 1) a neighbor makes a complaint or 2) it is in town where it is seen

Grading plans can run upwards of 3-6K depending on size of lot. The permit itself was under $25.00 - Yes $3000 on the plan - the civil engineer has to do the elevation/topography and show what is being filled and moved and what fill material consists of etc.... again that said, the only project that I know of - in HA - that was dinged for a grading permit was the lot of Jimmy's next to the HA Com Assoc on 8 Rd.

As for clear cutting, yes the builders need room to get equipment in and out but on the bigger parcels - like anything over 10K SF - you can move the dozer or track hoe around with out clear cutting. The track hoe specifically can clear with out "too" much trampling.


Catherine Dumond
Blue Water Project Management
808 217-7578
http://bluewaterpm.125mb.com/index.html
"We help make building your dream home a reality"

[sansei]

Indiscriminant clearing and grading affects more than the plants and other wildlife directly impacted. Plants moderate the fall of raindrops and buffer downpours to allow the land more time to absorb the influx of moisture. Without plants sudden heavy rains quickly flow off the land and take the soil with it if there are no roots to hold it. Even the most beautifully landscaped property does not duplicate the shielding effect of the multilayered canopy from the tall trees to the mat of roots and decay on the floor in a mature forest.

The following paragraph is taken directly off the Orchidland Community Association web site:
"The Kahikope Stream flows through Orchidland Estates and cuts across the roads in three places. As development above Orchidland increases the flooding is becoming more severe. Approximately 4 to 6 times each year an 88 lot section of the community (locally known as "The Devil's Triangle) is cut off for a period of 1 to 4 days. No person or vehicle can safely get in or out. This affects the lives and well-being of about 125 residents in 30 homes."

Of course the development above Orchidland is HA and HA complains about the flooding from the land above them. As any plumber knows s*#* flows down hill and the problems will get worse as more development occurs up country from where ever you are. We can't blame one person clearing his land for all the problems any more than we can blame one power plant or one car going to Kona for global warming. The cumulative effect will get worse as more people move into Puna and the more expensive it will be to fix the problems caused when we eventually get around to it. Uncontrolled land clearing is directly affecting many people in the form of decreased property values, lost property, disrupted lives and the cost of repairing roads.

It is also important to look to the future. People have expressed and interest in getting county water. In order to do this the county will have to increase ground water pumping from wells drilled into the aquifer. Those aquifers are replenished by rain percolating through the ground. As I noted above, land stripped of vegetation does not absorb water as well and we may find salt water when we try to tap the well in the future.

No body likes big government but the alternative is "staying the course" and letting someone else (hopefully) pay the piper.