BIL 101 Draft 02 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SECTION 6. Chapter 19, article 8, of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (1995 edition), is amended to read as follows: Article 8. [Reserved.] Dedications. Section 19-59. [Reserved.] Native forest dedications. ~ "Native forests" means lands which have sixty percent or greater native species forest cover. Native species are defined as those species indigenous to the Hawaiian islands Indigenous in this context shall mean plants that became established or evolved in the Hawauan islands without the aid of human beings The forest cover requirement may be met by native species in either the tree laver or the understorv laver or a combination of the two' provided a minimum twenty-five percent of the forest cover shall contain tree cover jb~ Native forest dedication process An owner who desires to dedicate the land for native forest preservation for a period of twenty years shall petition the director of finance and demonstrate in the petition that the land aualifies as native forest as provided herein The term "owner" includes lessees of real property whose term extends at least twenty years from the effective date of the dedication Any property five acres or larger within agricultural residential and agricultural family agricultural intensive agricultural and agricultural project districts or open zoned districts which is covered with at least five intact and contiguous acres of native forest is eligible for dedication as native forest property if it meets the classification requirements of native forest. The petition shall be filed with the director of finance by September 1 of any calendar year and shall be approved or disapproved by December 15 If approved the dedication shall be effective on Julv 1 of the following tax year. The director of finance shall determine whether or not land aualifies as native forest by using current natural resource or vegetation maps or other acceptable evidence Other acceptable evidence includes but is not limited to: A written affidavit by a recognized professional in the field of natural resources or 7