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General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map Categories AGRICULTURAL DESIGNATIONS RURAL 11mportant Agricultural Land: Important agricultural lands are those with better potential for sustained high agricultural yields because of soil type, climate, topography, or other factors. Important agricultural lands were determined by including the following lands: • Lands identified as "Intensive Agriculture" on the 1989 General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide maps. • Lands identified in the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai'i (ALISH) classification system as "Prime" or "Unique" • Lands classified by the Land Study Bureau's Soil Survey Report as Class B "Good" soils. (There are no Class A lands on the island of Hawaii) • Lands classified as at least "fair' for two or more crops, on an irrigated basis, by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's study of suitability for various crops. • In North and South Kona, the "coffee belt", a continuous band defined by elevation, according to input from area farmers. • State agricultural parks. Because of the scale of the Land use Pattern Allocation Guide maps used to designate Important Agricultural Land, the location of these lands should be verified by more detailed mapping when considering specific land use decisions. Extensive Agriculture: Lands not classified as Important Agricultural Land. Includes lands that are not capable of producing sustained, high agricultural yields without the intensive application of modern farming methods and technologies due to certain physical constraints such as soil composition, slope, machine tillability and climate. Other less intensive agricultural uses such as grazing and pasture may be included in the Extensive Agriculture category. Some areas that meet the criteria for important agricultural lands on an irrigated basis only were included in the "Extensive Agriculture" category due to their remoteness from potential sources of irrigation. Rural includes existing subdivisions in the State Land Use Agricultural and Rural districts that have a significant residential component. Typical lot sizes vary from 9,000 -square feet to two acres. These subdivisions may contain small farms, wooded areas, and open fields as well as residences. Allowable uses within these areas, with appropriate zoning, may include commercial facilities that serve the residential and agricultural uses in the area, and community and public facilities. The Rural designation does not necessarily mean that these areas should be further subdivided to smaller lots. Most lack the infrastructure necessary to allow further subdivision. 1 See page 1, item #S for a clarification on the difference between LUPAG ImportontAgricultural Lands and the State of Hawaii Important Agricultural Lands. Hamakua CDP May 2016 www.hamakuacdp.info hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov