STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1433

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 436, 437

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 436 and 437, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Board of Land and Natural Resources

 

G.M. No. 436

JERRY EDLAO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2013; and

 

G.M. No. 437

SAMUEL M. GON III,

for a term to expire 6-30-2013,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees, and finds Jerry Edlao and Samuel M. Gon III to have the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     Testimony in support of the nomination of Jerry Edlao was submitted by one state agency, the Mayor of Maui County, seven organizations, and twenty-five public citizens. 

 

     Mr. Edlao owns Accu-Pest and Termite Control Services and has worked in the pest control industry since 1974.  He is a member and Director of the Maui Contractors Association, Vice-President and Board member of the Hawaii Pest Control Association, Trustee and Chairman of the Kahului Union Church, and past Vice-President and training coordinator for the Valley Isle Kennel Club of Maui.  Mr. Edlao presently serves on the Board of Land and Natural Resources and satisfies the requirement that one member represent Maui County. 

 

     Mr. Edlao has a strong commitment to public service and has demonstrated effectiveness in dealing with the myriad of issues that come before the Board of Land and Natural Resources.  He has been instrumental in initiating meetings with the public and acting as a liaison for the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.  According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairperson, Mr. Edlao's involvement ensured productive meetings to address controversial issues in a constructive manner on numerous occasions.  Mr. Edlao stresses the importance of including the public in the process to provide an opportunity to ask questions before draft rules are promulgated.  He also recognizes the difficult issues the Board of Land and Natural Resources faces, and focuses on an inclusive approach to consider public concerns in his decision-making.

 

     Testimony in support of the nomination of Samuel M. Gon III was submitted by one state agency, two organizations, and thirty public citizens. 

 

     Dr. Gon received his Bachelor's degree in Zoology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and his Master's degree in Zoology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis.  He is presently employed as the Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor at The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and is an affiliate faculty member at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Department of Urban and Regional Planning.  Dr. Gon currently serves on the Board of Land and Natural Resources and satisfies the requirement that one member have a background in conservation and natural resources and represent Oahu. 

 

     Dr. Gon has over twenty-eight years of experience in research and conservation in Hawaii and has worked with private, state, and federal entities on a variety of conservation and land management projects.  He brings a dual perspective to the Board of Land and Natural Resources as a western trained biologist and as a traditionally trained Hawaiian practitioner of oli and protocol.  Dr. Gon supports sustainable use of Hawaii's resources, including protecting the native plants and animals, and keeping Hawaii's people on their ancestral lands.  He stresses the need for immediate action to protect Hawaii's fragile ecosystem, asserting that rights to resources come with responsibilities. 

 

     Written testimony presented to your Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair