Land Use Commission

DR21-76 Petition of KEKAHA AGRICULTURE ASSOCIATION, a Hawaii agricultural cooperative, For Declaratory Order to Designate Important Agricultural Lands for approximately 12,123 acres at Kekaha, Kauai; TMK 4-1-2-002:001 Por.

This Petition for Declaratory Order to Designate Important Agricultural Lands (Petition) is to designate certain agricultural lands in West Kaua‘i as Important Agricultural Lands (IAL). The Kekaha Agriculture Association (KAA) seeks the IAL designation.

KAA is an agricultural cooperative organized under Chapter 421, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS) which manages and operates agricultural infrastructure (e.g., irrigation water, drainage, roadways, and electric power systems) on land on Kaua‘i referred to as the “Kekaha Ag Lands.” The Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) controls the Kekaha Ag Lands and licenses land within the Kekaha Ag Lands to KAA farmer members for agricultural activities. The State of Hawaiʻi owns the Kekaha Ag Lands.

The Kekaha Ag Lands comprise approximately 12,762.26 acres along the leeward side of West Kaua‘i abutting the town of Kekaha to the south and east. The Kekaha Ag Lands are within all, or portions of, the following ahupua‘a: Pōki‘ikauna, Waiawa, Niu, Mana, and Kaʻulaʻula. All the Kekaha Ag Lands are within the State Agricultural District (Agricultural District). The Kekaha Ag Lands are a single Tax Map Key (TMK) parcel (TMK 4-1-2-002:001).

During the hearing on this Petition (May 11-12, 2022) an oral motion to withdraw the Petition was made by Petitioner.  The order granting the withdrawal was executed on June 6, 2022.