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DAVID Y. IGE <br />Governor <br />SHAN S. TSUTSUI <br />Lt. Governor <br />Mr. Michael Yee, Director <br />Planning Department <br />County of Hawaii <br />East Hawaii Office <br />101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 <br />Hilo, HI 96720 <br />Dear Mr. Yee: <br />1428 South King Street <br />Honolulu, Hawaii 96814-2512 <br />Phone: (808) 973-9600 FAX: (808) 973-9613 <br />April 21, 2017 <br />Subject: Review of the Draft Hamakua Community Development Plan <br />The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has reviewed the Draft Hamakua <br />Community Development Plan (Hamakua CDP) and offers the following comments. <br />Important Agricultural Lands (IAL) designation within the Hamakua CDP <br />The Hamakua CDP's Revised Land Use Guide Maps have "Important Ag. Lands" as a <br />land designation (Section 3.1.7, figures 2-13). According to the accompanying Land <br />Use Planner's Guide (pages 6-7) for the Hamakua CDP, lands identified as IAL were <br />determined by the following: <br />• Lands identified as "Intensive Agriculture" on the 1989 General Plan and Land <br />Use Pattern Allocation Guide maps. <br />• Lands identified in the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii <br />(ALISH) classification system as "Prime" or "Unique". <br />• Lands rated "B" by the Land Study Bureau's "Detailed Land Classification — <br />Island of Hawaii" (November, 1965). <br />• The "coffee belt", according to input from area farmers. <br />• State agricultural parks. <br />While it appears that the IAL identification within the Hamakua CDP is intended to be <br />separate from State IAL law (Sections 205-41 to 205-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes <br />(HRS)), this distinction is not clearly explained. We recommend the Hamakua CDP <br />clarify the purpose and intent of its IAL identification. Identification of potential IAL as <br />defined in State law involves three different processes - voluntary identification under <br />4n / <br />SCOTT E. ENRIGHT; .` -. <br />„Chairperson_Board of Agriculture <br />n raz : 7`17 APR 7 <br />O LLIS SHIMABUKURO-GEISER <br />. <br />-- Deputy to the -Chairperson <br />i'�,-;;-. <br />P. TENT <br />State of Hawaii r-„ . - <br />DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE )I" ' ' <br />. <br />�,— " <br />Vr i ir\tii�'r��i <br />1428 South King Street <br />Honolulu, Hawaii 96814-2512 <br />Phone: (808) 973-9600 FAX: (808) 973-9613 <br />April 21, 2017 <br />Subject: Review of the Draft Hamakua Community Development Plan <br />The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has reviewed the Draft Hamakua <br />Community Development Plan (Hamakua CDP) and offers the following comments. <br />Important Agricultural Lands (IAL) designation within the Hamakua CDP <br />The Hamakua CDP's Revised Land Use Guide Maps have "Important Ag. Lands" as a <br />land designation (Section 3.1.7, figures 2-13). According to the accompanying Land <br />Use Planner's Guide (pages 6-7) for the Hamakua CDP, lands identified as IAL were <br />determined by the following: <br />• Lands identified as "Intensive Agriculture" on the 1989 General Plan and Land <br />Use Pattern Allocation Guide maps. <br />• Lands identified in the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii <br />(ALISH) classification system as "Prime" or "Unique". <br />• Lands rated "B" by the Land Study Bureau's "Detailed Land Classification — <br />Island of Hawaii" (November, 1965). <br />• The "coffee belt", according to input from area farmers. <br />• State agricultural parks. <br />While it appears that the IAL identification within the Hamakua CDP is intended to be <br />separate from State IAL law (Sections 205-41 to 205-52, Hawaii Revised Statutes <br />(HRS)), this distinction is not clearly explained. We recommend the Hamakua CDP <br />clarify the purpose and intent of its IAL identification. Identification of potential IAL as <br />defined in State law involves three different processes - voluntary identification under <br />