Pa'auilo Final Enviromental Assessment

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PA`AUILO LANDS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 3.7 FLORA Geometrician Associates conducted a botanical survey of the Pa`auilo Lands in June 2006 (Appendix A). The survey determined that the lands had been heavily modified by decades of sugar cane cultivation that left most of them uniformly alien in vegetation. The property contains several vegetation types but is dominated basically by alien assemblages that vary according to slope and local disturbance history. Most of the lands are vegetated in the secondary grassland most often associated with abandoned sugar cane fields. It is dominated by guinea grass (Panicum maximum), interspersed with the alien trees ironwood (Casuarina sp.) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.). Koa (Acacia koa) is also fairly common in places, especially at higher elevations. Where there are water run-off channels or slopes with exposed soil, ferns are predominate, including alien and indigenous sword ferns (Nephrolepis spp.) and the alien golden fern (Pityrogramma austroamericana). Along the many unpaved roads are weedy species such as Florida beggarweed (Desmodium tortuosum) and hyptis (Hyptis pectinate). The gulches have steep sides and are often dominated by coffee (Coffea arabica), strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), and kukui (Aleurites moluccana). A few grasses (one a bamboo) and a member of the leguminous family could not be identified, but are almost certainly alien. The native plants that are found on the site are relatively common. Native species identified, in addition to koa, were the trees `6hi`a, k6lea, and kopiko (Psychotria hawaiensis), and the tree ferns hapu`u (Ciborium glaucum) and `ama`u (Sadleria cyatheoides). These native species are restricted to the steeper gulches and hills. The most intact native vegetation was found in an unquarried hilly feature near the top of the property, in the southeast corner of parcel 4-3-11:001. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures No plant species listed or proposed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources were found. One species, Koai`a, is considered rare, but its presence here is probably a result of planting, and would not indicate a natural occurrence necessitating special conservation measures. It is assumed that the intensive sugar cane cultivation that took place on the project site had a great impact on the vegetation that exists today. The proposed sale and subsequent use poses little potential for secondary or cumulative impacts to botanical resources, as a majority of the vegetation is alien and thus has low conservation value. The cumulative loss of some of the common native plants found on the property that might occur when considering this project in addition to other past, present, and foreseeable future actions in Hamakua is small. This loss would detract only negligibly from the population of these species and would not affect the general health or makeup of lowland areas in forest areas on the Hamdkua coast with intact ecosystems (mostly found further south and mauka in North and South Hilo). There would be little or no potential for adverse effects to accumulate with others. 24