LIHUE — A bill aimed at establishing a community food forest program within the state Department of Agriculture is headed to the House floor. And Talia Abrams, the 15-year-old Kauai resident who drafted the bill last year, said the support
LIHUE — A bill aimed at establishing a community food forest program within the state Department of Agriculture is headed to the House floor.
And Talia Abrams, the 15-year-old Kauai resident who drafted the bill last year, said the support she has received has been overwhelming.
“It’s all happening so fast,” she said by phone Thursday morning, just hours before she was scheduled to do a TV interview accompanied by Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
Carvalho said he is very proud that Abrams came up with the idea of helping the community through the creation of edible landscapes in public places, and that she didn’t stop there.
“She presented her idea to the state Legislature, and look how far it has gone,” he said. “I hope that other young people will follow Talia’s lead and share their creative ideas with their government officials.”
The House Committee on Finance voted 16-0 Wednesday that the measure be passed unamended, sending it to the House floor.
“Establishing a food forest program, what’s not good about that?” asked Rep. Jimmy Tokioka, D-Koloa-Wailua, who voted in favor.
If passed, the measure would appropriate funds and require the DLNR to “work collaboratively with local government and community organizations to provide sources of healthy food statewide.”
“By identifying and utilizing public lands, particularly those near existing community gathering places such as parks and community centers, to create community food forests that adopt edible landscaping concepts, the State may be able to provide additional sources of low- or no-cost food to residents, while also utilizing developed land for community sustainability purposes,” the bill says.
House Bill 2177 was introduced last month by Rep. Derek Kawakami, D-Wailua-Haena, and co-sponsored by 23 of the 51 members of the House, including Morikawa and Tokioka.
The full House is expected to vote on the measure Tuesday, according to Tokioka.
If passed, the measure would go into effect July 1.
• Chris D’Angelo, environmental reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or cdangelo@thegardenisland.com.
