Waikapuna and 2,317 acres acquired for conservation
The Ala Kahakai Trail Association (ATA), State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Legacy Land Conservation Program (LLCP), Ka‘u Mahi LLC, and The Trust Public Land, announced the voluntary sale and acquisition of 2,317 acres known as Waikapuna located in Kahilipalinui and Kahilipaliiki ahupuaa, Ka’u Moku, Hawaii Island, for a purchase price of $6 million.
The County of Hawaii’s Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation (PONC) Program granted $4 million, and the State LLCP granted $2 million, to ATA to purchase the land (facilitated by The Trust for Public Land), which is now encumbered by a perpetual conservation easement owned by the County restricting the land to agricultural and cultural preservation uses. This is the first conservation easement purchased by the County under the PONC program.
The purchase conserves more than 2 miles of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail ala loa, Waikapuna fishing village, and hundreds of Native Hawaiian cultural sites. The property also includes sea cliffs and caves that are nesting areas for seabirds like the Noio or Hawaiian black noddy.