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previously by ranching activities and/or fires, and the existing vegetation is composed of <br /> almost entirely two (2) non-native species: kiawe trees and buffel grass. <br /> 19. Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses: The property is bounded by the Akoni Pule Highway <br /> and the Agricultural 5-acre (A-5a) zoned Kohala Ranch Subdivision to the east, the ocean <br /> to the west, undeveloped State lands to the north (also zoned A-5a), and the Kohala Kai <br /> subdivision to the south which is zoned A-5a. Staff notes that Special Management Area <br /> (SMA) Use Permit No. 2006-010 was approved to allow for the development of a 5-lot <br /> subdivision and related uses, and to make landscaping and other infrastructure <br /> improvements on the Kohala Kai property to the south. <br /> 20. Coastal Hazards and Flood Zone: The Federal Emergency Management Agency's <br /> (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate map (FIRM) indicates that the majority of the property is <br /> in Flood Zone "X" which indicates areas of minimal flood hazard. A narrow portion of <br /> the shoreline along the property is within Flood Zone VE, indicating a coastal area with <br /> a 1% or greater chance of flooding and an additional hazard associated with,storm <br /> waves; there is a base flood elevation of 35-feet. The project area has no perennial <br /> freshwater bodies, but the property has five (5) gulches with ephemeral streams (i.e., a <br /> stream that flows only briefly during and following a period of rainfall in the immediate <br /> locality), however, only Keawewai Gulch is named. Four (4) single culvert and one (1) <br /> double culvert transmit storm runoff from mauka lands under Akoni Pule Highway across <br /> the subject property and into the gulches towards the shoreline. These deep gulches <br /> appear to not overtop their banks and represent only minimal flood hazard to the <br /> property. Consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOS) indicates that <br /> Keawewai Gulch and one of the unnamed gulches are considered jurisdictional waters of <br /> the U.S., under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. <br /> 21. Flora/Fauna Resources (Terrestrial): As typical for the region (i.e., historically <br /> ranched areas on leeward coasts) the subject property is covered with non-native <br /> vegetation which consists predominately of scattered kiawe with an understory of buffel <br /> grass. A total of 30 plant species were identified during the numerous terrestrial <br /> biological surveys completed for this site. Only four (4) common plants were observed, <br /> `uhaoa, the yellow flower `ilima, the succulent `akulikuli, and the strand vine Hi'iaka <br /> 6 <br />