PASS BILL 101 ON JANUARY 8 - HELP OVERRIDE THE MAYOR'S VETO!

The Hawai'i County Council has one chance to override Mayor Kim's veto of Bill 101, prohibiting the use of toxic herbicides on county owned parks and roadways. It is important that supporters of Bill 101 show up at the Council Chambers to show their concern that Mayor Kim changed his mind after being lobbied by corporate interests. Come and tell the County Council that passing Bill 101 is the will of our people, their constituents, whom they have a responsibility to represent.

This is the culmination of years of hard work. It comes down to this final vote.

Big Island Residents: How Can you Help? STAND UP, STEP UP & TESTIFY! The Council hearing starts at 9:00 am with public testimony. Please come and speak for the health and safety of our island and its people. If you have children, bring them... Let them speak and share their desire to play in parks free from the dangers of herbicides. The hearing will take place in the Hilo chambers at 25 Aupuni Street and will likely take all day - so please show up when you can.

However, you can testify at any of these satellite offices:

-Kona Council Chambers: 74-5044 Ane Keohokaloli Hwy, Bldg A

-Nā’alehu State Office Building: 95-5669 Māmalahoa Hwy

-Old Kohala Courthouse: 54-3900 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kapa’au

-Pahoa Council Office: 15-2879 Pahoa Village Rd

If you can't be there, please email the county council members at counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov

If you live outside of Big Island, you can email the council too. Share stories of your community successfully moving away from toxic herbicide use, or any other helpful information you have! ______________________________________________________

Here are some details about Bill 101:

✔️Bill 101 bans the use of herbicides by “the County” on County owned lands.

✔️Bill 101 does not prohibit herbicide use on any privately owned or state lands. It does not prohibit herbicide use in agriculture, landscaping or home care activities.

✔️Since Bill 101 ONLY applies to herbicide use by “the County” on County owned lands, it allows for herbicide use on county-owned agricultural lands that are leased to private individuals. It also allows for herbicide use by entities like Big Island Invasive Species Committee, even on county owned land, as BIISC employees are not “the County.”

✔️It completely exempts the direct application of herbicides through cut stump or incision point injection, which will allow for the continued use of herbicide to control things like albizia.

✔️We recognize that the County itself doesn't really do long term invasive species eradication, but if it ever does, they should be covered in section (d) of 14-144 that allows for a temporary exemption from the Council. At the moment, County agencies are generally not using herbicides as part of a long term conservation plan, but when they do, this waiver section will allow for that.

✔️A Vegetation Management Transition Committee will be established to monitor, educate and assist County staff and the public about alternative weed management practices.

If you have experience or knowledge in one of the following fields, please consider applying to sit on this committee: Native Hawaiian plants, tropical horticulture, agroforestry, silviculture, organic landscape, permaculture, natural farming or weed science.

Applications will be taken at a later time, but if you want to send a quick email to the County Council letting them know what skills you have to offer, it might let them and the departments know just how many resources we have on island to support the departments through this transition.

You can send an email of your interest to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov

Let’s Override the Veto!!!