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<br /> Stacy Higa, Chairman <br /> <br /> and Members of the County Council <br /> <br /> Page 4 <br /> incozporate covenants restricting the construction of second dwelling units on each <br /> subdivided lot. <br /> The property is presently heavily forested with native trees and shrubs such as <br /> ohia, tree fern, other native trees and shrubs, and non native vegetation. Wildlife at the <br /> property consists of turkeys, hawks, Chinese pheasants, and other forest birds. Vegetative <br /> cover is a mixture of native and non-native species. The proposed development has the <br /> potential to alter the mixture of plant life, however, the low density of the proposed <br /> development and conditions applied to previous rezonings will assure the continuation of <br /> habitat for existing wildlife. <br /> The `Alala Recovery Plan dated October 28, 1982, prepared and approved by the <br /> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the `Alala Recovery Team, <br /> recommends that certain selected essential habitats be preserved and properly managed to <br /> provide for the continued existence and growth of the population of the 'Alala, an <br /> endangered bird whose population has reached an extremely critical state. The Central <br /> Kona area along the north and west slopes of Hualalai is considered to be the center of <br /> concentration for breeding 'Alala. The Plan recommends that portion of the lands of <br /> Kaloko above approximately the 3,200 feet to 3,400 feet elevation, including all parcels <br /> in Blocks 8 through 13 of Kaloko Mauka Subdivision, be designated as an essential <br /> habitat for the 'Alala. The property is located in Block 7 at approximately the 3,400-foot <br /> elevation. Once such a habitat is secured, a specific management plan for each habitat <br /> needs to be developed which would address the improvement of food supplies, protection <br /> from grazing, predators and wildfires, and other management and monitoring activities to <br /> provide for a stable and secure environment for the recovery of the `Alala. The property <br /> is located at the elevation recommended for preservation as a habitat for the `Alala. The <br /> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not provide any comments on the request. <br /> As part of the Office of State Planning's five-year State Land Use District <br /> Boundary Review, the Water Resources Research Center recommends that the high <br /> rainfall and fog-drip area mauka of the 2,000-foot elevation be redesignated into the <br /> Conservation District for protection as a watershed recharge area. The Kona Watershed, <br /> which provides for the recharge of aquifers which supplies most of Kona's drinking <br /> water, includes those lands located within the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision and situated <br /> above the 1,900 foot elevation, which includes the subject property. The property, <br /> located at the 3,400-foot elevation, does not seriously compromise the recommendations <br /> of these studies beyond existing conditions. Although the property is located within the <br /> water recharge area, the condition will be included to retain 80% of the forest cover on <br /> the site to preserve the watershed qualities and watershed area. Approval of the requested <br /> change of zone will not alter the existing land use conditions within Kaloko Mauka <br /> <br />