2010-01-11 Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission Minutes

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HAWAII COUNTY PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES - REGULAR SESSION January 11, 2010 Department of Liquor Control Conference Room 75 -5722 Hanama Place, Suite 1107 Kailua -Kona, Hawaii 96740 Present: Chair E. Kalani Flores Vice -Chair Sarah Moon Commissioner Kim Garcia Commissioner Larry Komata Commissioner Terri Markovich (arrived at 10:31 a.m) Commissioner Hannah Springer Absent: Commissioner Bill Gilmartin Commissioner Steven Hirakami Others Present: Amy Self, Deputy Corporation Counsel Ken Van Bergen, Property Manager, Finance Alexandra Kelepolo, Clerk HI, Finance CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair E. Kalani Flores at 10:01 a.m. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS None. DISCUSSION WITH MICHAEL WHITT, NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS), RE: AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND PRODUCTION, AVAILABLE FUNDING PROGRAMS THROUGH NRCS & POSSIBLE COLLABORATION EFFORTS TO PROTECT THESE LANDS THROUGH AGRICULTURAL EASEMENTS Mr. Whitt provided a hand -out to the Commission and introduced himself as the Resource Conservationist for NRCS which is under the United States Department of Agriculture. He summarized that NRCS administers the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) and the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) which both provides matching funds for the purchase of conservation easements to protect agricultural lands. He highlighted that these programs should be used in combination with other matching sources and each year Hawaii receives around 2 to 2.5 million to fund these programs. These easements are intended to protect the agricultural value of the land by placing limitations on the amount of development, restricting subdivision of the property and requiring that if farmed, the land be farmed in a sustainable manner. -1-