Looking back on his agricultural roots, County Council candidate Daryl Kaneshiro says Kaua�i’s future ties into his past. That’s because in Kaneshiro’s opinion, one of the keys to the island’s future is controlling growth while ensuring self-sufficiency, two issues he
Looking back on his agricultural roots, County Council candidate Daryl Kaneshiro says Kaua�i’s future ties into his past.
That’s because in Kaneshiro’s opinion, one of the keys to the island’s future is controlling growth while ensuring self-sufficiency, two issues he thinks can be addressed by fostering an agricultural industry.
A fourth-generation farmer, Kaneshiro was born and raised on Kaua�i. His family has overseen 300 acres of Kaua�i land over the years.
“What happened to some of the plantation land is that once it was developed into subdivisions there became more rapid growth,” Kaneshiro said. “I believe if sugar were still here, we wouldn’t have seen that happen.”
Parcels getting divvied up is a threat to controlled development, he added.
The way to curtail growth, Kaneshiro said, is keeping land agricultural with uses such as the cattle industry, which is growing, he said.
“If the cattle industry continues its current growth, the ranchers will be able to make a longer commitment to rent the areas and keep it from being developed,” he said. “It also helps keep the land green.”
Another bonus to the idea of cattle is it will enhance Kaua�i’s economy, he said. Kaneshiro, an eight-year councilman, plans to use his years experience for county council and as the director of economic development for the county to keep it on the right track, he said.
That experience includes serving on the National Association of Counties as the vice president of the agricultural and rural affairs committee, he said.
“That knowledge has given me insight as to how legislatively an administration can succeed by working together and moving on in the same direction.”
To address the concerns of residents who have criticized the sitting County Council as too removed from the public, Kaneshiro said that is a “misconception.”
“It might seem like it’s closed, but at the end if you look at the current council, we believe in doing what is best for the island,” he said. “I’m hoping whomever is elected will have the ability to communicate with all council members � not just on the floor but to meet individually to speak about the issues.”
Long term, Kaneshiro said, filling the needs of the people will include keeping an eye on the Kaua�i infrastructure, and preservation of the environment, he said.
It also will include renewable energy.
“I want to see a 25 percent of all energy resources from our resources,” he said. “Cane for biofuel, corn for ethanol. If we could have 25 percent of the energy sources come out of agricultural land rather than stepping into the oil fields, that shows why it is important to keep agriculture viable.”
Biofuel is made from an organism or its metabolic byproducts, such as cow manure. It is a renewable energy source, unlike petroleum, coal or nuclear fuels.
Biofuel also is biodegradable and harmless to the environment if spilled, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
An environment Kaneshiro wants to keep in preservation, he said.
“If we achieve keeping Kaua�i green and open, it will be the way we saw it when we grew up here.”
� Amanda C. Gregg, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
