Koholalele Hamakua EA PBR Final TMK No. 4-2-005:001

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HAMAKUA LAND SALE: KOHOLALELE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 3.4 Soms Three soil suitability studies have been prepared for lands in Hawaii. These are the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey (USDA 1972), the University of Hawaii Land Study Bureau Detailed Land Classification (Baker 1965), and the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hativai `i (ALISH) (State of Hawaii 1977). The principal focus of these studies has been to describe the physical attributes of Hawai`i's lands and the relative productivity of different land types for agricultural production purposes. 3.4.1 Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey The Soil Survey of the Island of Hawai `i, State of Hativai `i (USDA 1972) identifies eight soil types on the Site (Figure 7). • Honoka`a Silty Clay Loam, Low Elevation, HsC (0 -10% slopes) • Honoka`a Silty Clay Loam, Low Elevation, HsD (10 -20% slopes) • Honoka`a Silty Clay Loam, Low Elevation, HsE (20 -35% slopes) • Honoka`a Silty Clay Loam, HTD (10 -20% slopes) • Kuka`iau Silty Clay Loam, KuC (6 -20% slopes) • Kuka`iau Silty Clay Loam, KuD (12 -20% slopes) • Kuka`iau Silty Clay Loam, KuE (20 -35% slopes) • Rough Broken Land, RB The USDA classifies the agricultural suitability of these soil types from I to VIII, with Capability Class I being the best suited for agriculture and Class VIII being the least suited. The soils on the Site are comprised of soils in Classes IV, VI, and VII: • Class IV soils have very severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants, require very careful management, or both. • Class VI soils have severe limitations that make them generally unsuited to cultivation and limit their use largely to pasture or range, woodland, or wildlife. • Class VII soils have very severe limitations that make them generally unsuited to cultivation and restrict their use largely to pasture or range, woodland, or wildlife. Capability subclasses, which are designated by adding a letter after the Roman numeral, indicate the main limitation risk. For example, Kuka`iau Silty Clay Loam is classed as IVe, VIe, indicating that the main limitation risk is from erosion, unless close growing vegetative cover is maintained. The predominant soil type on the Site, the Honoka`a silty claim loam comprising over half the Site, is in Class IV and has only slight erosion hazard. More detailed descriptions of the eight soil types on the Site are as follows: 3 -6