Kapulena Hamakua EA PBR Final TMK No. 4-7-005 and 006

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KAPULENA AGRICULTURAL PARK FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 35% slopes and Honokaa Silty Clay Loam 10 -20% slopes soils located at the site's higher elevations. The land rated E, or of the very lowest productivity are associated with the gulches that cross the site. 3.4.3 Agricultural Lands of Importance The ALISH system classifies four types of land: Prime Lands, Unique Lands, Unclassified, and Other Lands (State of Hawai `i 1977). See Figure 10, Agricultural Lands of Importance. Prime Agricultural Land is land best suited for the production of food, feed, forage, and fiber crops. When treated and managed, including water management, and according to modern farming methods, the land has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high yields of crops (State of Hawaii 1977). 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 (State of Hawaii 1977). The Kapulena Lands includes areas of Prime Lands. These lands are associated with the lower elevations of the site that are comprised of Kukaiau Silty Clay Loam, 12 -20% slopes and are rated "C" by the Detailed Land Classification (both previously discussed). The higher elevation lands on the site are unclassified by the ALISH system. These unclassified areas roughly correspond with the soil types Honokaa Silty Clay Loam 20 -35% slopes and Honokaa Silty Clay Loam 10 -20% slopes and are rated E by the Detailed Land Classification. Land within the gulches are also unclassified by the ALISH system. Areas of the site classified as "Other" by the ALISH system roughly correspond with the Kukaiau Silty Clay Loam 20 -35% slopes soil type which are scattered throughout the site. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures To mitigate soil erosion from agricultural practices, the County is developing a conservation plan for review and approval by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). All agricultural lessees or permittees using the site will be subject to this plan. I