COM 0786.000 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Honorable James Y. Arakaki, Chairman and Members of the County Council Page 4 Wildlife at the property consists of turkeys, hawks, Chinese pheasants, and other forest birds. Vegetative cover is a mixture of native and non-native species. The proposed development has the potential to alter the mixture of plant life, however, the low density of the proposed development and conditions applied to previous rezonings will assure the continuation of habitat for existing wildlife. The `Alala Recovery Plan dated October 28, 1982, prepared and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the `Alala Recovery Team, recommends that certain selected essential habitats be preserved and properly managed to provide for the continued existence and growth of the population of the `Alala, an endangered bird whose population has reached an extremely critical state. The Central Kona area along the north and west slopes of Hualalai is considered to be the center of concentration for breeding `Alala. The Plan recommends that portion of the lands of Kaloko above approximately the 3,200 feet to 3,400 feet elevation, including all parcels in Blocks 8 through 13 of Kaloko Mauka Subdivision, be designated as an essential habitat for the `Alala. The subject property is located within Block 10 at approximately the 4,200-foot elevation. Once such a habitat is secured, a specific management plan for each habitat needs to be developed which would address the improvement of food supplies, protection from grazing, predators and wildfires, and other management and monitoring activities to provide for a stable and secure environment for the recovery of the `Alala. The property is located at the elevation recommended for preservation as a habitat for the `Alala. As part of the Office of State Planning's five-year State Land Use District Boundary Review, the Water Resources Research Center recommends that the high rainfall and fog-drip area mauka of the 2,000-foot elevation be redesignated into the Conservation District for protection as a watershed recharge area. The Kona Watershed, which provides for the recharge of aquifers which supplies most of Kona's drinking water, includes those lands located within the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision and situated above the 1,900 foot elevation, which includes the subject property. The subject property, located at the 4,200-foot elevation, does not seriously compromise the recommendations of these studies beyond existing conditions. Although the property is located within the water recharge area, the condition will be included to retain 80% of the forest cover on the site to preserve the watershed qualities and watershed area. Approval of the requested change of zone will not alter the existing land use conditions within Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. Uses permitted within the Agricultural District will allow for a variety of agricultural activities to be conducted on the property. There have been several archaeological studies conducted in the area. An archaeological investigation of the Kaloko ahupua`a was conducted in 1970 and 1971 by Huehue Ranch, the developer of the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. In addition, the