300 Ohukai Rd # C210,

Kihei, HI 96753
(808) 875-0700
December 2,2016
300 Ala Moana Blvd, Rm 7-212
Honolulu, HI 96850
(808) 523- 2061

To the Honorable Brian Schatz,

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Kaleigh Trice, and I am a ninth grader at Kihei

Charter High School. Throughout the quarter, the ninth grade has been studying how to be

sustainable, as well as learning about politics. We have learned a lot of information from field

trips and professionals about how Maui is nowhere near sustainable.

The problem that we have been focusing on is this: if planes and barges stopped coming

(focusing on Maui in particular), how would we get our food supply? Hawaii currently relies on

99% of its imports. The island of Maui, in 2006, had over 244,000 acres of land designated for

agricultural uses. The majority of the land is owned by the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar

Company (HC&S). By the end of December, they will be shutting down. Some people want to

grow crops and some want businesses or additional housing properties. If nothing would

happen with the land, it would dry out, and the wind would cause the dirt to blow into the

ocean. If HC&S were to sell the land our island will be over populated.
 I kindly ask that you would support bills so that we could have farming instead of

businesses. There should be a way we could use the HC&S land for farming, that's what I am

focusing on. I believe that if more buildings were built on the HC&S land instead of crops it

would make Maui even more populated and we would still be in the same situation with being

unsustainable. A community can be formed so we could all work together for farming. Farming

would provide some people jobs and it would benefit not only people who need jobs but it would

benefit the people who want fresh fruits and vegetables and knowing that we all would be safe

if something happened instead of relying on other states. I kindly request that you look into this

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kaleigh Trice

9th grade, Kihei Charter