Fern Holland

Drug Policy We must be committed to addressing the drug abuse issues holistically and alongside other interconnected core social issues we face. We need to provide affordable housing and reduce the cost of living that drives people to depression, illegal activities and drug abuse. Economy 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. Drug Policy We need to do everything we can to expand mental health services and access, provide treatment and therapy to those struggling with addiction and come up with real solutions that don’t just temporarily bandaid the problem. Economy I believe we need to halt the building of any more hotels and vacation units and invest in our infrastructure and resources. Housing I believe we must find ways to discourage off shore vacation rental home buying, which is playing a part in pushing local families out of the market. We need to look at out of the box solutions to help offset and reduce rental costs and encourage and incentivize home owners to rent their homes on long term affordable leases to local families. Economy I am passionate about developing a flourishing agricultural industry that provides employment in food production, processing and distribution, and that pays living wages. To do this I will support efforts to expand local food production, processing facilities and infrastructure and work with community organizations to address needs to assist with marketing and distribution of local food while we also work to support current and next generation farmers and ranchers to the land and tools they need. Expanding our local products and supporting their local consumption, as well as export markets, is key to growth for the agricultural sector. Housing Affordable housing is one of the most urgent issues we must tackle. We need to find county solutions to reduce the cost of housing. I will continue to support projects like the Lima Ola affordable housing project and support the development of additional family units and rentals on existing properties to accommodate growing families and additional rentals. Economy 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. Infrastructure / Transportation 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. Environment / Energy We need to support local food production and also exportation markets. I believe that part of the solution is supporting land access, farmer education programs, food hubs, infrastructure for ranchers, and projects to address the gaps in our local food production and consumption systems. Efforts to support local sustainable food production agriculture will always be a top priority for me. Housing We also must tackle the needed infrastructure upgrades to accommodate these additional units and developments. We need to work with departments to understand what is holding up approved family units and address those permit blockages and infrastructure needs. Environment / Energy 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.