B09_Amd_2_4-5-3-001_2019-02576_1911SH13_ARCHY_6E8_CON_NHPA_0002.pdf

DAVID Y. IGE

GOVERNOR OF

HAWAII

SUZANNE D. CASE

CHAIRPERSON

BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ROBERT K. MASUDA

FIRST DEPUTY

M. KALEO MANUEL

DEPUTY DIRECTOR - WATER

AQUATIC RESOURCES

BOATING AND OCEAN RECREATION

BUREAU OF CONVEYANCES

COMMISSION ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

CONSERVATION AND COASTAL LANDS

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCES ENFORCEMENT

ENGINEERING

FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

KAHOOLAWE ISLAND RESERVE COMMISSION

LAND

STATE PARKS

STATE OF HAWAII

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION

KAKUHIHEWA BUILDING

601 KAMOKILA BLVD., STE 555

KAPOLEI, HI 96707

November 21, 2019

IN REPLY REFER TO:

Alex Schwartz, PLA, Project Manager Log No.: 2019.02576 Fish and Wildlife Service Doc. No.: 1911SH13 United States Department of the Interior Archaeology 911 NE11th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97232-4181 Email: Alex_Schwartz@fws.gov

Dear Alex Schwartz:

SUBJECT: Chapter 6E-8 Historic Preservation Review

Request for Concurrence with the Effect Determination Hanalei Valley Viewpoint Project Hanalei District, Island

TMK: (4) 5-3-001:016

The State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) received a letter from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to continue Chapter 6E consultation and to ) concurrence with the effect determination for the Hanalei Valley Viewpoint project . The SHPD received this submittal on November 18, 2019.

The FWS is proposing to construct an interpretive viewpoint for the local community and visitors to the North Shore of Kaua'i, to connect the public with the cultural and natural heritage of Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge (HNWR). The project will occur on land that will be acquired by the FWS and is located along the K i Highway (State Route 56) approximately 1/10th of a mile east from the intersection of K Highway and Ka Haku Road (the main entrance to Princeville).

The FWS has determined their involvement as a federal agency and anticipated federal ownership of the land makes the project a federal undertaking as defined in 36 CFR 800.16(y) and is therefore subject to compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The SHPO concurred with the Section 106 effect determination, no adverse effect, in a letter dated March 1, 2019 (SHPD Log No. 2019.00210, Doc No. 1903SH01). The project is also subject to historic preservation review under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §6E-8.

The FWS proposes to construct visitor use infrastructure, including a welcome and orientation kiosk, short trails to two small viewpoints, seating, interpretive signage, and parking for vehicles and buses on a 5.428 acre parcel of land off K ) 5-3-001-016). Constructing the new viewpoint will require clearing approximately

1.5 acres of an abandoned plant nursery of non-native species and nursery debris. Approximately 0.5 acres of the cleared area will be paved for parking and approximately 0.1 acres will be paved for pedestrian trails to the small viewpoints. The remaining accessible area will be landscaped and seeded with native plants to prevent potential erosion.

Development of the viewpoint will include the following activities:

Kuhi 'o Highway Improvements o Ingress/egress lanes to the viewpoint will be constructed

Development of Visitor Use Infrastructure o A sign will be erected on K Highway to welcome visitors into the viewpoint

Alex Schwartz November 21, 2019 o A paved parking area for buses, 22 cars, and 2 ADA-accessible parking spaces will be built o A concrete pad will potentially support portable or vault toilets, which are proposed as part of the project if funding allows o A welcome and orientation kiosk will be erected and a concrete trail will lead to two small overlooks with seating and interpretive signage

Safety and Boundary Fencing o A vehicle gate will be installed at the ingress off of K Highway o A small structural wall will be erected to keep visitors back from the steep edge on the west side of the parcel o A privacy wall and landscape berm will be built along neighboring property edge to fulfill the terms of the land acquisition

The project area is described as the entire 5.428-acre parcel, which will be acquired by the FWS. According to the FWS, a significant portion of the 5.428-acre parcel is comprised of steep slope (4% grade) upon which no activities will occur. Ground disturbing activities will be confined to a 1.5-acre area within which vegetation clearing and paving will occur and where acceleration/decelerations lanes will be installed within the footprint of the existing road ingress/egress ROW.

In support of the proposed project an Archaeological Inventory Survey (AIS) was conducted by Cultural Surveys

, Inc. (Hammatt et al. 2000) followed by the preparation of a report titled, Archaeological Inventory Survey of an Approximately 5 Acre Parcel of the Proposed Hanalei Valley Scenic Stop, Ahupua'a, Halele'a District, Kaua'i (TMK 5-3-01:016). No historic properties were identified within the project area.

Three historic properties were identified in the vicinity of the project area. They include Po oku Heiau (Site 50-30- 03-101), determined to lie over 300 meters from the project area. Also nearby is an extensive archaeological site complex (Site 50-30-03-1015), that lies 125 feet in elevation downslope and 100-150 meters from the project area.

CSH recommended restricting bulldozer push and secondary impacts from run-off to ensure avoiding impacts to this downslope site (Hammatt et al. 2000:33). The third historic property is K Belt Road, nominated to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) for its state and local significance in early engineering, transportation and social history (listed 2003, NRHP Historic District #03001048). is not visible from the project area.

The FWS has commitment to the following for the proposed project:

o FWS will consult with SHPD and the local community over proposed interpretive materials to ensure accuracy of information provided.

o FWS is committed to avoiding visual impacts to nearby historic properties including Po oku Heiau, Site 50-30-03-101, and by using setbacks, landscaping, grading, and architectural methods, and avoiding construction outcomes such as bulldozer push and erosion run-off.

Based on the above the SHPO concurs with the Chapter 6E effect determination, No historic properties affected for the proposed project.

The SHPD looks forward to the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed interpretive materials.

The FWS and the HDOT are the offices of record for this undertaking. Please maintain a copy of this letter with your environmental review record for this undertaking.

Please contact Stephanie Hacker, Historic Preservation Archaeologist IV, at Stephanie.Hacker@hawaii.gov or at

(808) 692-8046 for matters regarding archaeological resources or this letter.

Aloha, Alan S. Downer, PhD Administrator, State Historic Preservation Division Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer cc: Karen Chun, HDOT (Karen.Chun@hawaii.gov)