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

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HAMAKUA LAND SALE: KOHOLALELE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT and managed according to modern farming methods. In Hawai `i, some examples of such crops are coffee, taro, rice, watercress and non - irrigated pineapple. Land that qualifies as Prime Agricultural Land and is used for a specific high -value crop is classified as Prime rather than as Unique. • Other Agriculture Land is land other than Prime or Unique Agricultural Land that is also of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, and forage crops. The lands in this classification are important to agriculture in Hawaii yet exhibit properties, such as seasonal wetness, erosion, limited rooting zone, slope, flooding, or drought, which exclude the lands from the Prime or Unique Agricultural Land classifications. By applying greater inputs of fertilizer and other soil amendments, providing drainage improvements, implementing erosion control practices, and providing flood protection, these lands can be farmed satisfactorily and produce fair to good crop yields . The majority of the Site is identified as Prime Lands. A small area at the Site's lower elevation is classified as "Other ". This land is associated with the soil type Kukiau Silty Clay Loam 20- 35% slope. Lands at the higher elevations that roughly correspond with the Honoka`a Silty Clay Loam 10 -25% Slopes (HTD) are unclassified. The site's gulches are also unclassified. See Figure 9. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures The proposed sale of the Site is expected to beneficially impact agriculture by enabling private agricultural endeavors. If the Site was classified as LSB A or B, the State Land Use Law would have required that any further subdivision of the Site be subject to a covenant restricting the uses to be "primarily in pursuit of agricultural activity." (Hawai`i Revised Statutes §205- 4.5(b). However, this covenant requirement does apply to the Site since no part of the Site is classified as LSB A or B. m