City launches Important Agricultural Lands (IAL) website

News Release from City and County of Honolulu April 8, 2015

The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) has launched an interactive website to help the public participate in the identification and mapping of Important Agricultural Lands (IAL).

The site, www.mapoahuagland.com, provides information on the legal basis for IAL, the city’s process to map IAL, upcoming community meetings and announcements, and resource maps that show various characteristics of potential IAL.

The map site is designed to be interactive so the public can create its own IAL map by “layering” the given resource maps.  The resource maps are based on the state’s defined criteria and methodology for evaluating eligible lands.

The DPP recommends that the public attend one of the upcoming community meetings to better understand the IAL mapping process.  The public also will be asked to comment on what it believes should be declared IAL.  Below is a schedule of the public meetings, which run from 5:30-8:30 p.m.:

• April 8, MililaniMiddle School Cafeteria, 95-1140 Lehiwa Drive.
• April 15, WindwardCommunity College, Hale Akoakoa Room 105, 45-720 Keaahala Road.
• April 29, Kapolei Hale, Conference Rooms A-C, 1000 Uluohia Street.  (This meeting was originally set for April 1, but was postponed due to heavy traffic caused by the downed ZipMobile.)

For more information, visit http://www.honoluludpp.org/Planning/IAL.aspx, send an email tomapoahuagland@hhf.com, or call DPP project manager Tim Hata at 768-8043.  The new website also allows the public to ask a question or leave a comment about the project or website.

If you require special assistance, auxiliary aid and/or service to attend the meetings (i.e., sign language interpreter, interpreter for language other than English, or wheelchair accessibility), please call 768-8000, or email your request to info@honoluludpp.org at least three business days prior to the event.

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