Landfill & Infrastructure Needs

Landfill & Solid Waste

We face a major problem as we approach the end of the Kekaha Landfill and we need to act urgently to address our long term solid waste needs. My experience as an environmental scientist included the sampling of water surrounding and leachate in a large landfill in South East Queensland. I understand what goes into a landfill, where it is appropriate and how to push for the highest and best quality.

To address the landfill crisis, we must work urgently to drive forward the development of a new landfill, while doing everything we can to focus on waste reduction and diversion tactics.

The development of a landfill will take longer to address than we currently have. Reducing the waste we generate and diverting what we can from the current landfill will be critical in establishing responsible waste management for our small island. This issue is extremely urgent and will require significant funding that we must work hard to obtain ASAP, as we have run out of time. I am realistic about the time it will take to finalize a location and build a new landfill and understand that it is likely we do not have many options once we reach capacity, again.

I will push to move forward on landfill development outside of Kekaha, while we also move on curbside recycling and robust waste diversion tactics. I have and will continue to support a materials recovery facility for Kauaʻi in conjunction with curbside recycling. Over the last few years, on the state level, I have worked to support composting and organic waste diversion measures and will continue to do so.

I will push for strict requirements for construction around demolition and waste management to address the huge load of construction waste that the Kekaha Landfill receives.


Infrastructure & Waste Water

I will support infrastructure including waste water treatment facilities and sewer needs while supporting local families in efforts to transition from cesspools to septic systems. I will support investments in drainage, roads and bridges to improve our roadways.

I understand that infrastructure limitations are the reason many families have not taken up the opportunity to build additional units for family or rent. I want to help address these barriers and ensure the county is doing everything it can to work for the people of Kauaʻi.

Campaign Updates for July

Aloha Friends of Fern!

It’s been a busy few months, gearing up and getting banners up! Thank you to everyone who has reached out to support, donated, helped me locate high visibility banner locations and supported my campaign thus-far!

I have bumper stickers now and just need to connect with you all to get them to you!

In The News

Huge mahalo to Civil Beat for publishing this Question & Answer piece today showcasing where I stand on important issues facing our community. Read Civil Beat Q & A Here

Also a huge mahalo to Emma Grunwald, at Kauaʻi News Now, for this interview and coverage in May of the launch of our second campaign for County Council. Read Kauaʻi News Now Coverage Here

Fundraising

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first fundraiser (burrito sale). Apologies we never got an email out in time with the details!

A huge thank you to Paulina, Thyme Personal Chef, for using her time, resources and new location at Anahola Marketplace to help run a burrito fundraiser for the campaign! Check out her lunch wagon and support another great local business.

We are looking at a lau lau plate fundraiser as our next community fundraiser! We will be working hard to fund an island-wide mailer over the next few months to help share my platform and information with voters!

You can donate at anytime via the website at votefern.com/donate

Looking Forward

To all those who registered to volunteer on the campaign, thank you! I apologize I have not reached out yet to organize how you can do so but I will be working on trying to organize events and ways that you can plug in ASAP!

Primary Election Ballots will be going out this month! Please make sure that you are registered and that your ballot is being mailed where you want it to be mailed.

Please register yourself, your household, friends, new residents and youth that have turned (or will be) 18 for this election! You can do so in just a couple of minutes via olvr.hawaii.gov.

Remember, this is an ALL MAIL ELECTION and the only polling place the day of the Election will be in Lihue at the County Elections Office! Make a plan and ensure your vote is counted!

Vote Fern 2024 Campaign Launch

Aloha Friends and Fern!

We are excited to share with you that the 2024 campaign has hit the ground running! Fern is honored to put her name forward to represent the people of Kauaʻi on the Kauaʻi County Council.

As you may have noticed, our banners have already started going up around the island. If you have highway property or visible locations where we can place banners, please let us know!

We are off to a strong start and looking to run a positive and successful 2024 campaign for Kauaʻi County Council. Can you help donate to make that possible?

We have lots of campaign volunteer roles we would love to fill. Are you able to assist with administrative campaign needs, banner hanging, social media and marketing development or other campaign needs? We need your help! Even a few hours a week between now and the General Election would be hugely appreciated. Join our team!  

DONATE TODAY

So Many Ways to Support Fern for Council!

Mahalo for the huge outpouring of support so far! Our first round of mailers/walking pamphlets are printed and Fern has started going door to door in Kapahi!

We are running a grassroots campaign.

As Fern goes door to door over the next 45 days there are lots of ways you can help her make it into the top seven and onto our County Council.

  1. Make a commitment to call/text between 1-5 registered voters/friends everyday between now and the election and ask them to include Fern in their votes

  2. If you didn’t receive your Primary Election ballot or you have moved homes check/update your mailing address at olvr.hawaii.gov

  3. Check that everyone eligible is registered in your household olvr.hawaii.gov

  4. Donate and encourage others to donate to Friends of Fern to fund marketing efforts between now and Nov 8th fernholland.com/donate

  5. Share @votefern instagram and /votefern2022 facebook posts to your socials

We also have locally printed quality organic cotton VOTE FERN shirts now in stock from S-2XL thanks to the amazing guys over at Fantasy Shirts in Kapahi!

Why I Am Running & How I Will Serve

I have been an advocate for social and environmental justice my entire life. My life long community and environmental advocacy has motivated me to run for public office. My 10 years of involvement locally in State and County politics has led me to understanding that this is a way to make a difference for the betterment of Kauaʻi and our people.

I was born and raised in Kapahi and I understand the issues that matter to our islands. I am committed to doing everything I can to fight for local families. I believe that I can relate to and understand the needs of our diverse community and honor our unique and valuable history and culture while making good decisions for our future.

I am committed to addressing our drug problem in a meaningful way. I understand the major issues our community deals with related to drug abuse and addiction on Kauaʻi. We need to improve our port security and get drugs off our streets while we work to address the issue holistically with counseling programs, on island detox and treatment centers and housing first solutions.

I believe that my life experience, education and passion will benefit Kauaʻi and I will be a strong voice for our community. My environmental science background will help with important decision making around environmental issues that will need to happen in coming years.

I will be transparent, clear and thoughtful in the things I support and don't, with an explanation and an open door.

Climate Change

I will be proactive with efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. In college I took courses in climate science and learned about climate adaptation and mitigation.

When it comes to accepting grants and opportunities for support I will absolutely accept and seek out federal and state support to plan for and mitigate expected impacts to our resources and communities. I believe we need to establish site specific plans for low lying areas and ensure that we are protecting and or planning a retreat for critical infrastructure.

I will work with state agencies and nonprofits to create plans for the restoration of coastal native ecosystems and indigenous land management practices that will give us more resilience from rising sea levels.

I do not support coastal hardening or sea walls, unless absolutely necessary, and understand that this defers and relocates the problem, but does not fix it. In fact, it may make it worse in some areas.

I will be a proponent of green energy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Reducing imports and expanding the agriculture sector, if done correctly can be a part of how Hawaii addresses our contribution to climate change. It has become clear in recent decades that our agriculture practices and system can either hurt our climate, or help save it. Industrial food systems are energy-intensive and fossil-fuel based. Shipping food in, rather than producing it here, is also a major factor in how we, in Hawaiʻi, impact the climate. Addressing the combined impacts to the climate from ecosystem loss and destruction of environmental services, CO2 production due to transport of food through programs that support local food production and access are critical. This also makes us more resilient to climate disasters elsewhere.

Community, Culture, Access Rights & Environmental Protection

I support Hawaiian culture, rights and values. I believe that the principles of the ahupua'a land management system and Hawaiian 'āina based priorities must be incorporated in modern decision making and policy. I encourage and support the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture, language, education, food production and resource management in all aspects of our community and way of life that have a great deal of respect for the original native people of these islands.

Without community and culture we will never be able to truly conserve the environment. Only through real and open engagement with the community can we come up with successful conservation solutions to preserve our environment, native ecosystems and resources.  We need to seek balance between regulation and education and use cultural understandings and modern science to come up with real community driven solutions to preserve our ʻaina, community, culture, and environments.

I strongly support access rights and I will continue to insist that the Public Trust Doctrine is upheld and that access rights for local people are maintained and restored where ever they need to be.

Native ecosystem restoration is a priority and a passion for me. My ecology and environmental science background has taught me a deep appreciation for the values of biodiversity, healthy/balanced ecosystems, and native forests.

Responsible Management of Tourism

There are ways that we can grow our economy by channeling, appropriately managing and harnessing the tourism revenue we do have in our local economy, so a higher percentage reaches and benefits local residents and stays on island.

Developing shuttle systems and lowering the traffic in rural communities and reducing trampling of important sites is an important part of preserving our valuable places and resources. We must ensure we are responsible in how we manage and mitigate the impacts of excessive tourism in areas where communities are drastically and heavily affected.

The Kauai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) is a positive forward step in creating a better relationship with tourism that feels less extractive to local residents. I appreciate the goal to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period. We need to invest the money where the plan is. I believe that the aim of regenerative tourism as outlined in the DMAP, if harnessed properly, can assist with economic diversification and an expansion of eco-tourism, true cultural experiences and more revenue staying on Kauaʻi. Seeing how the County can support and encourage, instead of discourage, locals to engage and benefit directly from tourism is something I support also.

I strongly believe we must invest in opportunities for guests to visit our key visitor locations and destinations, without having to rent a car. Maybe an alternative bus route designed around visitor needs. The more we can expand public transport, shuttles, local tour and transport services, the more we can better manage the high number of rental cars on our roads.

I believe we need to halt the building of any more hotels and vacation units and invest in our infrastructure and resources. For the last few years, I have been working with a diverse group to build a path for the former Coco Palms hotel to be established into a cultural center and resource for the community, driven and shaped by Hawaiians connected to this very sacred place. More about this vision is available at wailuanui.org. I am opposed to a hotel in this location and stand in solidarity with the many Hawaiians that want this space respected, returned and restored for the betterment of Kauaʻi, local residents, future generations, visitors and the world.