RES 265 Draft 01 2010-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

WHEREAS, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle is a federally listed endangered species and is the rarest sea turtle in the Pacific Ocean, and the Pohue Bay area is known for the sighting and nesting sites; and WHEREAS, according to the Volcanoes National Park 2010 Hawksbill Sea Turtle Report, Pohue Bay had"nine nests from two returning hawksbills [that] were protected and over 1,300 hatchlings reached the ocean at this important nesting site;" and WHEREAS, feeding sites for the threatened green sea turtle and for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, rare anchialine ponds that host endemic and native shrimp species and insects, intertidal pool complexes that provide nursery habitat for marine invertebrates and fish, all exist in this area; and WHEREAS, Pohue Bay is the only white sand beach in Ka`u (within a forty mile radius) and has limited public access, and WHEREAS, the purchase of this parcel in the Ka`u region would benefit the island community as well as nearby towns by allowing access to Pohue Bay, which is currently under private ownership, previously planned for resort development, and currently restricted for private use only; and WHEREAS, if the Property is developed by a private party, the future use of this significant natural resource, historical, and cultural area would be subject to construction activities, possibly without input from the residents of Ka`u and the Native Hawaiian community; and WHEREAS, as mentioned in the Commission's 2010 Prioritized Properties list to the Mayor, this Property only needed an authorization resolution for the County acquisition process to begin; and WHEREAS, the acquisition of the Property in its entirety, certain portions thereof, or a conservation easement, may be financed from the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund as set forth in chapter 2, article 42, Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended); now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that, pursuant to section 2-218, subsection (a) of the Hawai`i County Code and the terms of this resolution, the Mayor is hereby requested to authorize the Director of Finance to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of the Property in its entirety, certain portions thereof, or a conservation easement, more particularly designated as Tax Map Key 9-2-001:072 and comprised of approximately 16,000 acres, which was awarded the second highest criteria score by the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission on its prioritized list of qualifying lands worthy of preservation listed in the 2010 Report. 2