Plant habitat Private landowners on Oahu could lose more than $81 million in land value if their properties are rezoned to conservation from agricultural to protect endangered plants, according to a draft economic analysis released yesterday.
could be costly
Oahu landowners may lose
$81 million if lands are changed
to conservation statusBy Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.comIn addition, plans to build new transmitters for high-definition television broadcasts, cellular phone relay stations and other communications facilities at Palehua above Makakilo and other ridge sites could also be affected by the designation of up to 111,364 acres of land on Oahu as "critical habitats," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report.
The report analyzed the economic impact of designating the lands needed for 99 plant species to recover and be removed from the endangered species list.
According to the report, most of the land designated for critical habitats is in the Waianae and Koolau mountain ranges and already zoned conservation.
The report says there are only a few parcels where there are plans for commercial development, so the direct economic impact should be "minor" -- about $1.1 million to $2.3 million over the next 10 years -- mostly for consultants to evaluate the environmental impact and for minor project modifications.
However, the report cites a proposed private landfill on former pineapple land in Kunia as an example of indirect costs that could be incurred by the critical habitat designation.
The developer of the project, Honolulu Disposal Service, might be forced to spend an additional $1 million to find an alternative landfill site and prepare new environmental reports, the draft said. And the project could be delayed by two years if it is rejected because of environmental concerns raised by the critical habitat designation, according to the report.
The report also lists potential economic benefits of critical habitats such as enhanced ecotourism opportunities, increased employment in conservation activities, and healthier watersheds, streams and beaches. But the report said it was difficult to estimate a dollar value on those benefits.
The critical habitat proposal could mean up to $416,300 in costs for television transmitters, cellular phone antennas, microwave relay stations and other communications equipment planned over the next 10 years. In addition, the report says Campbell Estate could see a $10 million decrease in the value of its land at Palehua if future communications uses are banned in the critical habitat.
But the report suggests that is unlikely to happen because similar communications equipment already exists in the area.
Other potential economic impacts are in the loss of ranch land and hunting areas.
And the military could also be affected economically by having to reduce the impact of training on critical habitat areas at Schofield Barracks, Kahuku and Kawailoa Training areas, Makua Military Reservation and Dillingham Military Reservation, the report said.
Costs of up to $249,000 are anticipated for consultants and improving fire and weed control measures in the military training areas.
The designating of critical habitats is required by federal law. The law also requires that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service consider the economic impact of the critical habitat designation. Land can be excluded from critical habitat designation if the economic impact outweighs the environmental benefit.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said some areas proposed for critical habitat have already been removed from consideration, including portions of Schofield Barracks, the Lyon Arboretum in Manoa, the Air Force Satellite Tracking Facility on Mount Kaala, Kahuku and Turtle Bay golf courses, Kahuku residential and commercial community properties, and some farm lands because after public comment and review, they were found not to have the elements needed for the endangered plants to survive.
Public comment may be submitted until Jan. 27 to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana, Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI., 96850 or via e-mail to FW1PIE_Oahu_crithab@rl.fws.gov.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
City & County of Honolulu
