(a) The land use commission shall receive the county recommendations and maps delineating those lands eligible to be designated important agricultural lands no sooner than the effective date of the legislative enactment of protection and incentive measures for important agricultural lands and agricultural viability, as provided in section 9 of Act 183, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.
important agricultural lands: means those lands, identified pursuant to this part, that: (1) Are capable of producing sustained high agricultural yields when treated and managed according to accepted farming methods and technology;(2) Contribute to the State's economic base and produce agricultural commodities for export or local consumption; or(3) Are needed to promote the expansion of agricultural activities and income for the future, even if currently not in production. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 205-42
(b) The department of agriculture and the office of planning and sustainable development shall review the county report and recommendations and provide comments to the land use commission within forty-five days of the receipt of the report and maps by the land use commission. The land use commission may also consult with the department of agriculture and the office of planning and sustainable development as needed.(c) State agency review shall be based on an evaluation of the degree that the:
(1) County recommendations result in an identified resource base that meets the definition of important agricultural land and the objectives and policies for important agricultural lands in sections 205-42 and 205-43; and(2) County has met the minimum standards and criteria for the identification and mapping process in sections 205-44 and 205-47.
