Land Dedicated to Lapakahi State Park

The Trust for Public Land dedicated 17 acres of formerly privately-owned shoreline within the Lapakahi State Historical Park.  Previously threatened with potential development, the inholding includes hundreds of extremely well-preserved pre-contact sites, including a fishing village, canoe landing areas, and residences of konokoki or ali'i (chiefs).  The purchase also provides access to the adjacent Lapakahi Marine Life Conservation District, which serves as habitat for over 116 marine species.  The $2.35 purchase of the land was made possible by matching grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Costal Estuarine and Land Conservation Program (CELP).

Pāo’o Project

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is working with the County of Hawaii and several local community groups to acquire and protect this 10.67 acre coastal parcel in North Kohala. The property had previously been the subject of a contested luxury residential development. TPL is working to raise approximately $1.98 million to acquire the property, place it in public ownership, and remove the threat of future development.

The property is bordered on three sides by State owned conservation land, and is adjacent to the Lapakahi Marine Life Conservation District. There are over 27 cultural and historic sites on the property that are part of an extensive series of traditional Hawaiian fishing villages located along the Kohala coast, including the villages at the Lapakahi State Historical Park which are listed on the State and National Historic Registers.

In support of this effort, I sent a letter to the State of Hawaii Legacy Land Conservation Fund requesting their support for the purchase of this parcel.

In the photo above, I am standing with Lea Hong, TPL Hawaiian Islands Program Director. Below, Lea inspects one of the historic sites.