PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS … PARTNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS NORTH SHORE FARMLAND ... This...
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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2016 Media Contacts: Lea Hong, [email protected], 808-783-3653 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS NORTH SHORE FARMLAND Vital farmland mauka of Turtle Bay Resort gains permanent protection HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – Officials with federal, state, and county government, as well as private non-profit organizations today announced they have recorded a Grant of Conservation Easement that permanently protects 468 acres of productive farmland in Kahuku on Oahu’s North Shore. This momentous effort was the result of collaboration between the private landowners of Turtle Bay Resort, The Trust for Public Land, the North Shore Community Land Trust, the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawai‘i and the United States Army. With the makai conservation effort that closed in October 2015, over 1,200 acres of North Shore land are now permanently protected from future development. The agricultural land, located mauka (toward the mountains) of Turtle Bay Resort, is owned by Turtle Bay Mauka Lands LLC, a company formed by the owners of Turtle Bay Resort. An agricultural conservation easement now permanently dedicates the land to agricultural uses and prohibits further subdivision, changes in zoning or land use classification, and residential or resort development. Twelve farmers are currently working the land by growing fruits and vegetables, including bananas, papayas, basil, tomatoes, eggplant and taro. In addition to permanently dedicating the land to agriculture, the landowner will also be offering to license smaller community and business incubation farm lots, and has set aside a two-mile strip along Kamehameha Highway for a future pedestrian and bike path. “We need to support agriculture and help our local farmers dramatically increase the amount of food we grow locally. Securing this land for farming in perpetuity is a tremendous step forward in that effort,” said Gov. David Ige. “This is a great step in conserving agricultural land to increase our food security and keeps the promise of ‘Keeping the Country, Country,’” said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “I’m also pleased that we’ve set aside a two mile area for a future bike path along Kamehameha Highway. Bike paths connect communities, promote good health, reduce traffic congestion,
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Transcript of PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS … PARTNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS NORTH SHORE FARMLAND ... This...
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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE April4,2016MediaContacts:LeaHong,[email protected],808-783-3653
PUBLIC-PRIVATEPARTNERSHIPSAFEGUARDSNORTHSHOREFARMLANDVitalfarmlandmaukaofTurtleBayResortgainspermanentprotection
HONOLULU,Hawai‘i–Officialswithfederal,state,andcountygovernment,aswellasprivatenon-profitorganizationstodayannouncedtheyhaverecordedaGrantofConservationEasementthatpermanentlyprotects468acresofproductivefarmlandinKahukuonOahu’sNorthShore.ThismomentouseffortwastheresultofcollaborationbetweentheprivatelandownersofTurtleBayResort,TheTrustforPublicLand,theNorthShoreCommunityLandTrust,theCityandCountyofHonolulu,theStateofHawai‘iandtheUnitedStatesArmy.WiththemakaiconservationeffortthatclosedinOctober2015,over1,200acresofNorthShorelandarenowpermanentlyprotectedfromfuturedevelopment.Theagriculturalland,locatedmauka(towardthemountains)ofTurtleBayResort,isownedbyTurtleBayMaukaLandsLLC,acompanyformedbytheownersofTurtleBayResort.Anagriculturalconservationeasementnowpermanentlydedicatesthelandtoagriculturalusesandprohibitsfurthersubdivision,changesinzoningorlanduseclassification,andresidentialorresortdevelopment.Twelvefarmersarecurrentlyworkingthelandbygrowingfruitsandvegetables,includingbananas,papayas,basil,tomatoes,eggplantandtaro.Inadditiontopermanentlydedicatingthelandtoagriculture,thelandownerwillalsobeofferingtolicensesmallercommunityandbusinessincubationfarmlots,andhassetasideatwo-milestripalongKamehamehaHighwayforafuturepedestrianandbikepath.“Weneedtosupportagricultureandhelpourlocalfarmersdramaticallyincreasetheamountoffoodwegrowlocally.Securingthislandforfarminginperpetuityisatremendousstepforwardinthateffort,”saidGov.DavidIge.“Thisisagreatstepinconservingagriculturallandtoincreaseourfoodsecurityandkeepsthepromiseof‘KeepingtheCountry,Country,’”saidHonoluluMayorKirkCaldwell.“I’malsopleasedthatwe’vesetasideatwomileareaforafuturebikepathalongKamehamehaHighway.Bikepathsconnectcommunities,promotegoodhealth,reducetrafficcongestion,
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saveenergy,reducepollution,andoffervisitorsalow-impactwaytoenjoythebeautyoftheNorthShore.”“Ibelievemostpeoplewouldagreethathavingtheabilitytogrowmoreofwhatweconsumeisasensiblepathtosustainability,”statedHonoluluCityCouncilChairandPresidingOfficerErnieMartin.“TheCityandCountyofHonolulumustprioritizelocalagricultureasanecessitytokeepHonoluluthrivingandO‘ahuawholesomeandhealthyislandcommunity.”TheperpetualagriculturalconservationeasementwaspurchasedthroughTheTrustforPublicLand,anationalnon-profitlandconservationorganization.TheTrustforPublicLandassembledthe$6milliontopurchasetheeasementfromthreeprograms:$3millionfromtheUnitedStatesArmyReadinessandEnvironmentalProtectionIntegrationprogram(REPI)andtheArmyCompatibleUseBuffer(ACUB)program(ACUB);$1.5millionfromtheStateofHawaiʻiLegacyLandConservationProgram(whichreceives10%ofthestaterealestateconveyancetax);and$1.5millionfromtheCityandCountyofHonoluluCleanWaterandNaturalLandsFund(whichreceives0.5%ofrealpropertytaxes).TheNorthShoreCommunityLandTrustwillbeaco-holderoftheagriculturalconservationeasementandassistpublicagenciesinconductingannualmonitoringsurveystoensurecompliancewiththerestrictionswithintheconservationeasement.“Weareverypleasedtobeabletoparticipateinthispurchaseandpartnerwithothercommunityentitiestoprotectandconservethislandforagriculturalusebyfuturegenerations,”saidCol.RichardFromm,commanderofU.S.ArmyGarrison-Hawai‘i.TheU.S.Army’sfundingforthiseffortcamefromthePentagon’sReadinessandEnvironmentalProtectionInitiativeprogram(REPI),whichischarteredtopreservelandfromdevelopmentaroundmilitaryinstallations.The468acresofNorthShorefarmlandisadjacenttotheArmy’sKahukuTrainingArea,aswellasmilitarytrainingflightpaths.
PhotocourtesyofSeanDavey;[email protected]
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AbouttheTrustforPublicLandFoundedin1972,TheTrustforPublicLandistheleadingnonprofitworkingtoconservelandforfuturegenerations.Operatingfrommorethan30officesnationwide,TheTrustforPublicLandhasprotectedmorethanthreemillionacres,fromtheinnercitytothewilderness,andhelpedgeneratemorethan$34billioninpublicfundsforconservation.Nearly10millionpeoplelivewithina10-minutewalkofaTrustforPublicLandpark,garden,ornaturalarea,andmillionsmorevisitthesesiteseveryyear.Learnmoreattpl.org(http://www.tpl.org/).TheTrustforPublicLandhasbeenworkinginHawai‘isince1979andhasconservedover42,000acresthroughouttheislands.TheTrustforPublicLandfocusesitseffortsinHawai‘ionconnectingpeopletoshoreline/coastallands,native/heritagelandsthatperpetuateHawaiianculture,andworkinglandsthatcontributetoHawai‘i’sself-sufficiency.
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QuotationsbyKeyPartners“TheTrustforPublicLandthanksallthepublicandprivatepartnersinthisworthyendeavor.WiththemakaiconservationeffortthatclosedinOctober2015,thisagriculturalconservationeasementprojectmeansthatover1,200acresofNorthShorelandwillnoteverbedeveloped.”LeaHong,HawaiianIslandsStateDirector,EdmundC.OlsonTrustFellow,TheTrustforPublicLand.“Inadditiontopreservingvaluableagriculturalland,theconservationeasementallowsforamulti-usetrailtobeestablishedalongKamehamehaHwyfortheentirelengthoftheproperty.ThisbringsusonestepclosertoachievingourgoaloflinkinguptheNorthShore’smanycommunities,beaches,andplacesofinterestviaanetworkoffamilyfriendlytrails.”DougCole,ExecutiveDirectoroftheNorthShoreCommunityLandTrust.“Preservingagriculturallandsforagriculturalusesisattheheartofkeepingthecountry,country.TheNorthShoreisaspecialplaceforvisitorsandresidentsalike–preservingtheruralandcountrycharacterofareaandincreasingourfoodsecurity–isawin-winforeveryone.”StateSenatorGilRiviere.“TheStateLegacyLandConservationProgram,whichprovided$1.5milliontopurchasethisagriculturalconservationeasement,hasbeenaresoundingsuccess,conservingin24projects,nearly7,200acresoflandthroughoutourislands,andfosteringpublic/privatepartnershipsandcommunitycollaborationslikethisone.”SuzanneCase,Chair,BoardofLandandNaturalResources.U.S.SenatorBrianSchatz,stated:“Eachyear,I’veadvocatedforfederalfundingfortheREPIprogrambecauseit’spreservedthousandsofacresinHawaiiandcreatedbuffersbetweenlocalcommunitiesandmilitaryinstallations,”saidU.S.SenatorBrianSchatz,amemberoftheSenateAppropriationsCommittee.“I’mpleasedthat$3millionofREPIfundingisgoingtogoodusehere.Thiswin-winpartnershiphastheaddedbenefitofsupportingHawaii’ssmallfarmersandlocalfoodproduction.”
U.S.SenatorMazieHironosaid:“TheTurtleBayMaukaAgriculturalLandsensurethat468acresonOahu’sNorthShorewillremainavailabletocurrentandfuturegenerationsofHawaiifarmers,whichwillincreaseHawaii’sfoodsecurityandprovideopportunitiesforlocalagriculture.Thissuccessfulpublic-privatepartnershipbetweentheCityandCountyofHonolulu,StateofHawaii,theNorthShoreCommunityLandTrust,theU.S.DepartmentofDefensethroughtheREPIprogram,theTrustforPublicLandandprivatelandownerTurtleBayResortdemonstrateswhatwecanaccomplishwhenweworktogether.”CongressmanMarkTakai,said“Preservingtheselandsinagricultureisanimportantsteptowardensuringourstate’ssustainablefuture.GivenHawaii’slimitedinventoryofland,weneedtobeattheforefrontofresponsibledevelopmentpracticesifweintendtoreduceourdependenceonimportedfoodsandmaintainourcommunity’squalityoflife.Andwhiletheseareissuesthatweseeallacrossthecountry,Hawaiicanbearolemodelforotherstatesthatarefindingthattheyneedtobalanceagriculturewithdevelopment.Ithankandcongratulatetheagenciesandorganizationsthathaveworkedtogethertomakethispossible.”
Pa
hip
ah
ialu
aG
ul c h
KahukuTraining
Area
KahukuMotocross
Park
Kawela BayBeach Park
K a w e l a B a y
KAWELA BAY
K a w e l a S t r e a m
Oi o
Gu l c h
Turtle Bay Mauka Ag Lands
Turtle Bay Mauka Ag Lands property
Parks and open space
Military land
0 0.1 0.2Miles
April 1, 2016. Copyright © The Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land and The Trust for Public Land logo are federally registered marks of The Trust for Public Land.Information on this map is provided for purposes of discussion and visualization only. www.tpl.org
Kawela Bay
Turtle Bay
Kuilima Bay
PahipahialuaGulch
kawelapoint
kuilimapoint
kuhukupoint
KahukuTraining Area
KahukuMotocross
Park
James CampbellNational Wildlife
Refuge
KuilimaEstates
TurtleBay
Resort
TURTLE BAY MAUKA AGRICULTURAL LANDS
K a w e l a S t r e am
K ah uk u
Oio
Gu
l ch
Kuilima Dr
NudistCamp
Rd
Charlie
Rd
Plantation Rd
Pebble Pt
Mar
coni
Rd
Mil i
t ary
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Turtle Bay Makai and Mauka ConservationI S L A N D O F O ' A H U , H A W A I ' I
Kahuku Kawela ProjectOverall boundary
State fee purchaseState conservation easement purchaseCity fee purchase and future park lands
Interim conservation easement owned by State
Excluded acreage
Public access trail
Ag Conservation Easement
Parks, open space, andother protected land
Military land
0 0.25 0.5Miles
Projectlocation
April 1, 2016. Copyright © The Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land and The Trust for Public Land logo are federally registered marks of The Trust for Public Land.Information on this map is provided for purposes of discussion and visualization only. www.tpl.org
