PD BACKGROUND REPORT (PL-SPP-2021-000004)

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south, and east of the property. Undeveloped agricultural land is located to the west. The property is approximately three miles east of Waimea Town. E. FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM) DESIGNATION The property is designated as Zones X and AO in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). See Figure 15. Zone AO covers the most of the western half of the parcel,with the exception of two small areas in the northwest and southwest corners. Zone X covers the remaining area within the parcel. Zone AO describes the special flood hazard areas subject to a one percent chance of shallow flooding each year, usually in the form of sheet flow. The Zone AO areas on the property are anticipated to have an average flood depth of one foot. Zone X describes the areas of minimal flood hazard and outside of the 500-year floodplain (FEMA, 2021). This zone covers the lands to the east where the pu'u and elevation rises. F. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES An Archaeological Inventory Survey(AIS) was conducted for the property by ASM Affiliates(ASM) in June 2021.As a result of the fieldwork, no historic properties of any kind were identified within the property. The study is intended to inform that application process and has been undertaken in accordance with Hawai'i Administrative Rules (HAR) 13§13-284 and complies with the Rules Governing Minimal Standards for Archaeological Inventory Surveys and Reports as contained in HAR 13§13- 276. Compliance with the above standards is sufficient for meeting the historic preservation review process requirements of both the Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Division (DLNR SHPD) and the County of Hawai'i Planning Department. According to HAR 13§13-284-5(b)(5)(A), when no archaeological sites are found during an AIS, the results of the AIS shall be reported through an Archaeological Assessment (AA). The AA is attached as Appendix A and concludes that implementation of the activities associated with this Special Permit application will have no effect on any historic properties and recommends that no further work be conducted prior to or during the implementation of the activities associated with the Special Permit application (Kepa'a & Brandt, 2021). G. FLORAL AND FAUNAL RESOURCES Per the AA and topographic survey, much of the ground surface of the project area, except for the northeastern corner of the project area that includes a portion of Pu'u Maile, appears to have been previously mechanically altered, most likely to create pasture for livestock grazing. This prior disturbance is most evident in the fairly uniform, manicured ground surface and sparse vegetative pattern largely dominated by introduced species. Ground cover consists predominantly of various pasture grasses such as kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) and honohono(wandering Jew; Commelina diffusa) interspersed with white clover(Trifolium repens), narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolate), fireweed (Senecio madagascoriensis), and patches of nasturtiums (Tropoeolum rnajus), thimbleberry (Rubus sp.), and various other ground cover species. This vegetation pattern transitions to dense growth of ornamental ginger (Hedychium 6 r