Over 600 acres in North Kohala will be preserved thanks to Hawaii Land Trust and partners Na Kalai Wa‘a, federal, state and county agencies, and the Kohala community.
The nonprofit trust announced on Wednesday that it closed on the purchase of a 642-acre parcel at Mahukona, its largest purchase to date with a purchase price of $13 million with funding coming from county, state and federal funding.
The property includes the coastal regions of six ahupua‘a, including a portion of the Kohala Field System which produced large quantities of food to support local farmers and residents, as well as local and district-level chiefly elites in pre-contact Kohala.
The purchased land provides habitat for threatened and endangered native plants and animals.
To date, 175 ancient cultural sites have been identified in the area, including four heiau, agricultural and housing villages and complexes, shrines, burials, and ancient trails.
Since the 1980s, the lands have been slated for various development proposals, with a portion of the property previously zoned for resort development.
“HILT’s ownership of its 8th preserve, with a conservation easement held by the County of Hawaii ensures permanent cultural site protection, environmental resilience, and indigenous-led, community-based stewardship and education for all,” said trust spokesperson Teddi Anderson in a media release.
“Mahukona is a very special place in North Kohala,” said District 8 state Rep. David Tarnas. “It is a historical site and has significant cultural value. It’s scary to think it could have sold and a private land owner could have done something different. I am grateful for the community leadership that has resulted in this success story.”
Mayor Mitch Roth praised the purchase.
“This effort is huge for our county. One of the things we have been focusing on is sustainability. This project solidifies the anchors we have, the culture, ‘aina, and most importantly, it has the people. When you put all of those things together, it makes this place such an amazing place,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to Hawaii Land Trust, Na Kalai Wa‘a, lineal descendants, and our collaborative partners for working together to secure the perpetual protection of 642 acres at Mahukona.”
HILT and Na Kalai Wa‘a will co-steward Ko‘a Heiau Holomoana, an ancient site of worship revered by navigators from all over the Pacific and associated cultural sites with the generational family to provide ‘land and culture-based educational opportunities. Na Kalai Wa‘a will continue using a warehouse it renovated on site where it drydocks its voyaging canoe Makali‘i and other sailing vessels.
“What this effort has done is to really see the possibilities of when we come together, when we all can see that same focus and that same place we are trying to head to, we are able to make things happen for the future,” said Na Kalai Wa‘a Senior Captain Chad Paishon. “We will continue to write the stories from this generation to allow them to see the importance of caring for place.”
Hawaii County’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission ranked Mahukona its number one priority for protection in 2020. Mahukona has been nominated for protection year after year since 2012. The PONC funds are derived from 2% of the county’s annual real property tax revenues.
With support from the county, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private contributors, HILT has raised $18.86 million toward the total project goal of $20 million. With the land purchase now complete, HILT is seeking support to raise the remaining $1.14 million needed for community co-stewardship of Mahukona.
“We feel so privileged to have been welcomed by Na Kalai Wa‘a and lineal descendants of Mahukona to a place of such cultural significance and community importance,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaii Land Trust Olu Campbell. “I am grateful for the community’s trust in our organization to close this acquisition and take on perpetual stewardship of these lands and for all the partners and donors whose efforts and contributions have brought us to this point.”
“The significance of the navigational heiau, Ko‘a Holomoana, cannot be overstated,” said District 4 Sen. Tim Richards. “As County Council member, I played a crucial role in facilitating the successful enactment of the PONC purchase, underscoring our commitment to preserving and honoring this cultural and historical treasure.”
