Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, December 16, 2019

     Said Keoni Fox, Director, Ala Kahakai Trail Association, "This purchase conserves over 2.3 miles of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail or ala loa, the ancient fishing village of Waikapuna, and hundreds of intact pre-contact Native Hawaiian cultural sites. This land holds special meaning for Native Hawaiians as it is the place where noted Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui spent her summers as a child, and where she learned the traditions and knowledge that formed the basis of her book, The Polynesian Family System in Ka‘ū.
     As the new steward of the land, Ala Kahakai Trail Association can "preserve both our ancient history and the paniolo heritage of ranching in Ka‘ū. We look forward to working closely with Ka‘ū families to mālama this special ‘āina and cultural legacy for future generations."
     Landowner Kaʻū Mahi, LLC sold the property for $6 million, while donating approximately $1.3 million in value. "We want to thank the landowner Ka’ū Mahi, LLC, for being patient and working closely with us on this conservation purchase. We could not have conserved this agricultural and cultural treasure for the people of Hawai‘i without the landowner's generosity and flexibility," said Lea Hong, Hawaiian Islands State Director, The Trust for Public Land.

     Said Byron Levkulich, Board Member, Kaʻū Mahi, LLC, the seller of the land, "We are humbled to have been part of this community effort to conserve these special lands."

     Suzanne Case, Chair of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, said that, in addition to protecting important cultural sites and scenic portions of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, the property also includes sea cliffs and caves that are nesting areas for seabirds like the Noio, Hawaiian black noddy. "Waikapuna has it all – cultural significance and incredible coastal natural resources. We are pleased that the Legacy Land Conservation Program contributed to the preservation of this land. The Legacy Program has created a tremendous legacy for Hawai‘i in its nearly 15 years."

     The statement said, "The Kaʻū community has been working decades to protect their beloved 80 mile coast to honor their kūpuna and empower future generations to perpetuate their rural, subsistence lifestyle. The Waikapuna purchase is the first among five conservation projects to close, including Kawala (conservation easement only), Manakaʻa Fishing Village, Kiolaka‘a, and Kaunamano, which are pending. All five projects would conserve over 6,000 acres of coastline, cultural sites, and pasture land, and connect over 10 miles of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail."

     The County of Hawai‘i's Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund is used to acquire land or easements for public outdoor recreation and education, including mauka/makai access, historic or culturally important areas and sites, natural resource, significant habitat or eco-systems, forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty, agricultural lands, and watersheds. Learn more at hawaiicounty.gov/departments/finance/property-management.

     The Legacy Land Conservation Program provides grants to community organizations and government agencies that strive to purchase and protect land that shelters exceptional, unique, threatened, and endangered resources. Learn more at dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp.

     The Ala Kahakai Trail Association helps to connect the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail to the community and ensures that Hawaiian values and principles are acknowledged and practiced. See alakahakaitrail.org.
     The Trust for PublicLand creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for PublicLand park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. See tpl.org/hawaii.