Waipi'o Lookout Draft Environmental Assessment

Home

found, on the Rice Property. In terms of conservation value,no botanical resources requiring special protection are present. - Hawaiian Hawks(Buteo solitarius)and Hawaiian hoary bats(Lasiurus cinereus semotus),both of which are listed endangered species,are often seen in the general area. The native trees favored by Hawaiian Hawks for nesting are not present in the alien vegetation on the Rice Property and immediately surrounding areas. Habitat requirements for bats are not yet well known, but they appear to feed and roost in a number of different types of native and alien vegetation. Impacts and Mitigation Measures Because of the nature of the project, and the lack of native ecosystems and threatened or endangered plant species,no adverse impacts to botanical resources would occur as a result of the action. Neither County purchase of the property nor its eventual use for programs related to Waipi`o Valley would likely pose any impact to Hawaiian hawks or Hawaiian hoary bats. 31A Air Quality,Noise, and Scenic Resources Environmental Setting, Impacts and Mitigation Measures Air quality in the project area, which is far removed from urban land uses, is good,and there are no apparent air pollution problems. Noise on the Rice Property is low and derived mainly from motor vehicles using Waipi`o Valley Road and the Waipi`o Valley Lookout parking area,with occasional noise from residential and road maintenance activities. Several locations in the project area, including the Waipi`o Valley Lookout, are noted as sites of particular natural beauty by the Hawaii County General Plan, and are shown in Table 1. The General Plan also notes,in Chapter 7,Natural Beauty, "The Hamakua district is tropically lush along the lower elevations. The coast is marked by densely vegetated gulches and valleys highlighted by silvery green Kukui trees. The most famous of these is Waipi`o Valley. This valley is the most accessible in the series of windward valleys. The natural and scenic beauty of Waipi`o with its waterfalls and tropical rainforests has attracted people for many years." 8 Environmental Assessment, Ra vai`i County Purchase of Rice Property at Waipi o Lookout