KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — Residents and local officials on the Big Island are tasked with trying to figure out how to manage economic growth without relinquishing the quality of life or sacrificing the environment.

The island is seen as a microcosm of the development challenges and sustainability opportunities that face every community in the world, said Chris Yuen, the Hawai'i County planning director and the keynote speaker at the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce annual Environment and Natural Resources Conference on Friday.

Yuen defended sometimes unpopular county policies as ways to responsibly manage growth and protect the environment. While acknowledging the island — particularly the west side — has problems, he remained optimistic that development can include environmental responsibility. "I've seen a lot of bad things happen but with the kinds of attitudes I see now I believe we can have an ecologically sound future. We can improve the environment and we can do better," Yuen said. "We have a tremendous growth problem here in Hawai'i, but there can be a positive relationship between people and the Earth."

Flo Frank, an internationally recognized specialist in community development, also said she sees a bright future for the west side of the Big Island.

"I see the beginning of a whole lot of energy. It's bubbling here," she said.

The Canadian professor and author specializes in community-based economic development. The concept is to create a sense of ownership, followed by "inside-out" development that starts and ends locally — resources, workers, products and ideas.

The county has taken steps to alleviate traffic. Under Mayor Harry Kim's administration, islandwide free bus service has been expanded and selective rezoning has focused development in the core Kona village area.

With people spending as much as twice as long in their cars as 30 years ago, Yuen said, the problems are clear:

"Congestion is primarily a commuting issue. The only answer is to give housing options nearer to where they work. People won't stop moving to Kona and the jobs won't stay vacant forever."

With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, Kona businesses — large and small — and Kohala Coast resorts are looking for workers.

"A Ka'u High School graduate will eventually take a job at a resort and drive miles and miles," Yuen said.

Also, he noted some 200 building permits were issued to build homes in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates area, 45 miles south of Kona. "Very few of those people who are building there will work there," he said. "They will out of necessity work in Kailua, Kona or one of the resorts up north."