2024-05-13 Minutes APPROVED - Laserfiche WebLink

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f) Sugg.24-06, Nani Kai Hoku Farm Agricultural Easement, N. Kohala, Hawai'i. TMK(3)5-5-008:069 Chr. Kelepolo opened the discussion by disclosing that she is the Vice President of the Moku O Keawe Land Conservancy and that she would not recuse herself as there will be no discussion, but she would recuse herself at the next meeting during discussions regarding the site visit for this nomination. GAIL BYRNE BABER, Nani Kai Hoku Farm, speaking in support of Support of Sugg. 24-06. Ms. Byrne Baber testified that she came for three updates on funding.The USDA has already approved a grant for their farm to help with the agricultural easement.They had to secure a portion of that funding from another budget on the mainland, so the project will go through, no matter what. It was just a matter of timing that they were able to get that extra funds but they got it and the funds are now encumbered.The other one was the Legacy Land folks; the Board of Land and Natural Resources put the final stamp of approval on that. A nice chunk of funding has been gathered for that agricultural easement. Ms. Byrne Baber clarified that they have no intention of selling the farm. They are doing this for succession planning and finding a way to keep it in the family for a long time. She added that they got a grant from the Department of Agriculture for fencing. There being no further testifiers, Chr. Kelepolo opened the floor to the PInG to share their report. Cmr. Ward briefly summarized the PInG attendees and what they saw on the site visit. She then stated that she wants to focus on the special opportunity and doesn't think there is a broad understanding of what a conservation or agricultural easement is. When she was a child in Pennsylvania,those kinds of agricultural easements were set aside so that there would be open space, protected agricultural activity near towns, and also an opportunity to protect future farming in an area where development is enormous. Cmr. Ward continued on with her thoughts about the terms of conservation-easements including no rezoning or subdivision, a limit on impervious surfaces, preservation of pollinator habitat, maintenance of organic and regenerative certifications, food production, and annual public education. An agricultural easement is important because we're providing the funding to keep that agriculture open, and if it were to be resold, it would stay in agriculture because of its dedication and easement. She then mentioned her main concern about conservation easements comes with oversight by non-profits and questions how to incorporate a way of making the non-profit somewhat solvent in their efforts to maintain monitoring and protection of that area. It might be expected that, at some point, someone may have a different idea than what was originally envisioned. It's something that may come up as a discussion at some point.The Commission may want to discuss how non-profits that enforce and maintain conservation and agricultural easements can participate in the maintenance fund or some other funding source. Cmr. Chang added that it would be a relatively small expense for POMC to enter into an Draft-Minutes of May 13, 2024 Page 4