FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES AT WAO KELE O PUNA FINAL REPORT AUGUST 2011 Prepared for: OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS Prepared by: TOWNSCAPE, INC. Sub-Consultant: SMS RESEARCH FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES AT WAO KELE O PUNA FINAL REPORT AUGUST 2011 Prepared for: OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS Prepared by: TOWNSCAPE, INC. Sub-Consultant: SMS RESEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................................................iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................v 1 Introduction and Planning Context...................................................................................................................1 2 Site Conditions ....................................................................................................................................................2 2.1 Site Description............................................................................................................................................2 2.2 Past and Present Surrounding Communities ...............................................................................................3 2.3 Natural and Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................4 2.4 Hazards........................................................................................................................................................6 2.5 Regulatory Requirements .............................................................................................................................8 2.6 Summary of Opportunities and Constraints...............................................................................................11 3 Potential Sustainable Income/Revenue Opportunities ..................................................................................13 3.1 Income/Revenue Opportunities Identification Process ..............................................................................13 3.2 Screening Criteria......................................................................................................................................14 3.3 “Top Ten” Opportunities for Feasibility and Market Analysis..................................................................15 3.4 Opportunities not included in Feasibility and Market Analysis.................................................................16 4 Feasibility Analysis of “Top Ten” Opportunities...........................................................................................18 4.1 Hawaiian Culture and Wao Kele o Puna Phone Applications...................................................................18 4.2 Individual Donor-Based Program .............................................................................................................25 4.3 Native and Hawaiian Cultural Plant Cultivation.......................................................................................30 4.4 Sustainable Forestry ..................................................................................................................................40 4.5 Invasive Species Extraction........................................................................................................................46 4.6 Wao Kele o Puna Makana / Virtual Shop ..................................................................................................53 4.7 Eco-Tourism and Volun-Tourism...............................................................................................................60 4.8 Overnight Retreat Destination ...................................................................................................................68 4.9 Movies and Documentaries........................................................................................................................73 4.10 “Niche” Carbon Credits............................................................................................................................78 5 Comparative Summary of Opportunity Costs & Feasibility ........................................................................88 6 Implementation Needs and Recommendations ..............................................................................................90 7 References..........................................................................................................................................................91 Wao Kele o Puna Revenue Opportunities Page i TABLES Table ES-1: Summary of Feasibility Analysis................................................................................... vi Table 2-1: Regulatory Requirements .................................................................................................. 8 Table 3-1: Opportunities Screening Criteria ..................................................................................... 14 Table 3-2: Opportunities for Feasibility and Market Analysis.......................................................... 15 Table 3-3: Opportunities not included in Feasibility & Market Analysis......................................... 16 Table 4-1: Capital and Operating Costs for Wao Kele o Puna Phone App....................................... 23 Table 4-2: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Wao Kele o Puna Phone App .................... 24 Table 4-3: Examples of Maui Watershed Partnership Donation Options ......................................... 25 Table 4-4: Capital and Operating Cost for Individual Donor-based Program .................................. 27 Table 4-5: Comparative Examples for Individual Donor-based Programs....................................... 28 Table 4-6: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Individual Donor-based Program .............. 29 Table 4-7: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Phone App + Donations-based Website .... 29 Table 4-8: Value of Crop Sales in the State of Hawaiÿi.................................................................... 33 Table 4-9: Capital and Annual Operating Costs for Plant Nursery................................................... 36 Table 4-10: Capital and Operating Costs for Agroforestry............................................................... 37 Table 4-11: Capital and Operating Costs for Sustainable Forestry................................................... 43 Table 4-12: Five-Year Cost Projection for Strawberry Guava Removal .......................................... 51 Table 4-13: Payment Process Options for Wao Kele o Puna E-store ............................................... 55 Table 4-14: Capital and Operating Cost for E-Store......................................................................... 56 Table 4-15: Capital and Operating Cost for Makuÿu Farmers Market Booth ................................... 57 Table 4-16: Wao Kele o Puna E-Store and Market Booth Breakeven Analysis ............................... 58 Table 4-17: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for E-store ..................................................... 58 Table 4-18: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Makuÿu Market Booth ............................. 59 Table 4-19: Capital and Operating Costs for Ecotourism ................................................................. 64 Table 4-20: Ecotourism Pro Forma................................................................................................... 65 Table 4-21: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Ecotourism............................................... 65 Table 4-22: Ecotourism Comparison Examples................................................................................ 67 Table 4-23: Capital and Operating Costs for Overnight Retreat Facility.......................................... 70 Table 4-24: Overnight Retreat Pro Forma......................................................................................... 71 Table 4-25: U.S. National Park Film Production Permits................................................................. 73 Table 4-26: Comparative Pricing for Hawaiÿi Filming Locations .................................................... 75 Table 4-27: Average Length of Film Productions in U.S. National Parks........................................ 75 Table 4-28: Capital and Operating Costs for Movies and Documentaries........................................ 76 Table 4-29: Five-Year Cost and Revenue Projection for Movies and Documentaries ..................... 77 Table 4-30: Up-Front and Operating Costs for an Improved Forest Management Carbon Project (50 acres).............................................................................................................................. 83 Table 4-31: Carbon Project Assumptions ......................................................................................... 85 Table 4-32: 100-Year Cost and Revenue Projection Example.......................................................... 86 Table 5-1: Concept Feasibility Summary.......................................................................................... 88 Wao Kele o Puna Revenue Opportunities Page ii FIGURES Figure 2-1: Site Vicinity...................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2-2: Recent Lava Flows near Wao