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<br /> W.H. SHIPMAN, LTD. <br /> Councilwoman Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd <br /> February 5, 2003 <br /> Page 2 <br /> 2. Of the agricultural land we have, we consider the land mauka of the <br /> Volcano Highway to be generally marginal for agricultural use. In <br /> consultation with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, their <br /> published Pield Office Technical Guide identifies the area of concern <br /> as being "Other Agricultural Land". This designation is the ?owest <br /> category of agicultural land classification below Prime Farmland and <br /> Unidlie C'armland. Part of the definition of "Other Agricultural Land" <br /> in the NRCS field m~mual specifies these lands as "important to <br /> agricultLU~e in Hawaii yet exhibit properties, such as seasonal wetness, <br /> erodibility, limited rooting zone, slope, flooding, or doughtiness that <br /> exclude them from Prime or Unique Agricultural Land". <br /> After reviewing the "Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of <br /> Hawaii" (ALIS(-1), which was identified as the basis for the proposed <br /> change, it appears that this area may not meet the criteria for the <br /> "Itnpa-taut Agricultural Laud" designation used in the Land Use <br /> Concepts o? page 336 of the General Plan because it is not classified <br /> as either Prime or Unique Agricultural Land on the ALISH map. <br /> Further, in relation to other land around the island being proposed in <br /> the General Plan for redesignation as Important Agriculture Land, the <br /> area of concern may be of less agricultural value compared to land in <br /> other districts. According to records at the Hawaii Sugar Producers <br /> Association, Puna Sugar has consistently had a lower yield per acre <br /> compared to Hilo Coast Processing Co, (14% less) and Hamakua <br /> Sugar (27'% less), due to lower sunlight, poorer soil and higher <br /> average rainfall. <br /> <br />