BIL 185 Draft 01 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SECTION 3. Chapter 19, article 1, section 19-2 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended), is amended by amending the definition of "nondedicated agricultural use assessment" to read as follows: ""Nondedicated agricultural use assessment' means the present use of agricultural or residential and agricultural zoned land on a continuous and regular basis that demonstrates the owner is engaged in agricultural activities from: (1) Intensive agriculture; (2) Orchards; (3) Feed crops and fast rotation forestry; [mer] (4) Pasture and slow rotation forestry[...], and/or (5) Certified organic operations." SECTION 4. Chapter 19, article 1, section 19-2 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended), is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows: ""Organic certifying agent" means any entity accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture as a certifying agent for the purpose of certifying a production or handling_ operation as a certified organic operation." SECTION 5. Chapter 19, article 7, section 19-57 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended), is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: "(a) Lands classified and used for agriculture and which are not dedicated pursuant to section 19-60, may be assessed for real property tax purposes as established in subsection (a)(2) of this section and shall be subject to the following: (1) The land in nondedicated agricultural use must be used on a continuous and regular basis for intensive agriculture, orchards, feed crops and fast rotation forestry., [or] pasture and slow rotation forestry, or certified organic operations on lands zoned by the County to be in the districts of agricultural, residential and agricultural, family agricultural, intensive agricultural, and agricultural project district; (2) The portion of land that is committed in specific nondedicated agricultural use shall be assessed at two times the dedicated agricultural use value as established by the director of finance under this chapter; and (3) A farm dwelling site shall be assessed at the highest commercial agriculture use value, provided that the maximum farm dwelling site area to be assessed at the highest commercial agriculture use value shall not exceed one-fourth acre." 2