AT&T/New Cingular is flying under the radar, avoiding community process, to gain control of a tower in pristine Waimea Canyon State Park on public land on Kauai.
If they are successful, state parks and public land will be up for grabs throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
The old 100' tower is not currently being utilized. It is leased out to a mainland company that is behind on their rent payments. AT&T caught wind of this inside information on DNLR controlled land.
We must ask ourselves: How did that happen?
Because the tower already exists, no permit is needed. That means no public hearing, no public process whatsoever.
AT&T/Cingular can quietly take control of the lease for 55 years and, after that, basically do whatever they want with that tower. No environmental assessment, no permits required.
What stands in the way of this land grab is the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DNLR) and Kauai officials.
And you!
Please take action now! Time is of the essence!
Here is the contact info for those involved in the decision (Sample message below): Please email and call if you can, as some don't have public email addresses.
David Smith, Administrator, Division of Forestry and Wildlife: 808-587-0166
Samuel Lemmo, Administrator, Division of Conservation & Coastal Lands: 808-587-0377 [email protected]
Alan Downer, Administrator, Historic Preservation Division: 808-692-8020
Kauai Division of State Parks: 808-274-3444
Todd Raybuck, Kauai Police Chief: 808-241-1603
Sample Message to Those You Contact:
1) I'm reaching out with regard to AT&T/New Cingular's application to take over the lease of the old cell tower in Waimea Canyon.
2) This is a public park and I don't want AT&T to have access to that tower. There has been no public process and we deserve to have a voice about what happens in our state parks.
3) If you allow AT&T to take over that lease, and they are successful in their proposal, there would be no stopping them from renting out space on that tower to Verizon, T-Mobile and others, making money off that tower and stealing from the state. The tower is on state land.
4) Please deny the proposal and give the tower lease to the state. We want to maintain control of our public parks for the people of Hawaii, not for multinational corporations.
5) Thank you!
The Backstory...
In a diabolical plan that has taken communities by surprise, AT&T is using First Responders as a way to grow their wireless network across the country. Under the guise of public safety, AT&T (aka Cingular) is seeking official public utility status that would give them access to public lands where commercial installations
would previously be restricted or not allowed.
Powerful AT&T lobbyists are going straight to police departments, fire departments and other First Responders to hard-sell them on their FirstNet plan, an elaborate land grab that is unnecessary especially in Hawaii. The First Responder network currently in place works just fine here.
FirstNet is complete overkill. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing. A trojan horse.
The plan involves AT&T gaining official public utility status which would give them access to erect cell towers on public land that would normally be off-limits to industrial installations from a massive multinational corporation.
In the case of Waimea Canyon State Park, the proposed lease is for 55 years! If AT&T/New Cingular gains control of that tower, on public land, without public input, there is nothing to stop them from leasing out space to Verizon, T-Mobile and others and they install countless commercial antennas on that tower.
Beautiful Waimea Canyon becomes a cash cow, a money making machine for AT&T, with an ugly behemoth 100' tower covered with antennas of all varieties spraying out harmful wireless radiation 24/7/365.
If this can happen in Waimea Canyon State Park, it can happen anywhere on the Hawaiian islands. Precedent will be set. Please follow the instructions above to make your voice heard.
Thank you for all you do! Together we are stronger.
