COM 0077.000 2024-2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

The Honorable Chairman Holeka Goro Inaba and Members of the County Council County of Hawaii December 24, 2024 Page 8 Additionally, the applicant submitted a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) entitled, "Cultural Impact Assessment TMK: (3) 6-2-001: 075 portion, `Ouli Ahupua `a, South Kohala District, Island of Hawai `i " prepared by Kulaiwi Archeology, LLC and dated July 2024. This CIA covered the proposed project area. Finally, the applicant submitted a professional floral/faunal survey entitled, "Biological Survey of the Ouli Lands, TMKs 6-2-1: 74 and 75 South Kohala District, Island of Mawai `i " prepared by Geometrician Associated LLC in August 2023. This study covered 257.338 acres of land, including the proposed project area. The valued cultural, historical, and natural resources found in the project area: The AIS identified 75 sites in the 91,000-acre study area, including sites related to military training, ranching, historic period use, and traditional Hawaiian use. Nine (9) of these sites were recommended for further work, including 2 historic sites and a burial site located approximately 1/2 mile away from the project area. A preservation plan and a burial treatment plan for the sites were approved by the State Historic Preservation Division in 2001 and 2003 respectively. There were no historic sites identified within the project area. The CIA found that traditional Hawaiian activities in the area were primarily shoreline -based and seasonal, upland areas served as transit zones, with trails historically maintained by local families for access to coastal resources. The area, known as a dry and arid land (`Aina kaha), was later influenced by the sandalwood trade and, more substantially, by 19th-century ranching activities connected to Parker Ranch, as well as World War II military training in the Waikoloa Maneuver Area. Despite these historical activities, the CIA identified no significant cultural practices or traditional resources directly within the project's Area of Potential Effect (APE). It concluded that the proposed development would not interfere with known cultural resources, as the land itself had no direct ties to ongoing Hawaiian practices, though standard protocols would apply if any cultural resources were inadvertently discovered during construction. Finally, the Biological Study found that the area is dominated by non-native plant species and that no rare, threatened, or endangered plant species were identified during the survey as the habitat is considered unsuitable for such species. The presence of invasive species like tree tobacco, which supports the endangered Blackburn's sphinx moth, requires careful management to prevent its spread. Faunal resources included 14 bird species, most of which were non-native, except for a single pueo (Hawaiian short -eared owl) sighting. Feral mammals such as cats, goats, and cattle were observed, all of which are detrimental to the native ecosystem. Although the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat may use the area for seasonal foraging and roosting,