KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaiian Islands Land Trust has purchased a second conservation easement from HCC Farms, LLC, putting an additional 150 acres of agricultural land under protection above Kealakekua Bay.
KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaiian Islands Land Trust has purchased a second conservation easement from HCC Farms, LLC, putting an additional 150 acres of agricultural land under protection above Kealakekua Bay.
The Land Trust purchased an initial conservation easement in March 2016 on 75 acres of the property, according to a Land Trust news release. The second easement means the entire 225 acres of land will remain for agricultural use forever. The farmland includes not only cultural resources, the release stated, but also native ohia forests which provide habitat for native birds.
Ed Schultz, president of HCC Farms, said the company was “excited to find a conservation group aligned with our goals for protecting agricultural land in Hawaii for the long term.”
“HILT’s leadership team did a great job of educating us on the process and really worked with us every step of the way to ensure our land was conserved the right way,” he added in the release.
The funds for the easement purchase came via a contribution from the Freeman Foundation of Honolulu as part of an initiative to conserve working farms and ranches in the state.