COM 0644.000 2020-2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Anticipated Use Public acquisition of this property will: • Assure that the public's use of the Old Coast Guard Road to reach the shoreline parking lot and the start of the Na Ala Hele coastal trail will remain open in perpetuity. Currently, the Old Coast Guard Road and shoreline parking lot are privately owned on the subject property, and public access is at the discretion of the private landowner. • Ensure that the historical and cultural significance of the area can be protected, experienced, and shared by all, including protection of at least two historic shipwrecks in the bay, and the monument to the first Puerto Rican immigrants to land at Honoipu in 1901. • Help to protect the pristine water of the bay and foster the natural conditions that attract the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal to the bay. • Preserve the area's spectacular natural beauty and views by protecting open space and promoting study of the area's marine resources. Significance and Management • Permanent protection of the public access to Honoipu Bay that has been enjoyed by many generations in Kohala would be achieved through this acquisition and is widely supported by the community. • The 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Kohala Lihikai (consisting of community groups: Malama Kohala Kahakai, Maika'i Kamakani '0 Kohala, Ka Makani '0 Kohala 'Ohana, and Malama Na Wahi Pana '0 Kohala), the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (d.b.a., Hawaii Land Trust), Moku '0 Keawe Land Conservancy, and the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail have expressed support for the acquisition. Kohala Lihikai, the North Kohala Community Access Group, the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT), and the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (NHT) are interested in participating in stewardship of the lands. • The landowners are proceeding with repairs and upgrades to existing residential structures on the property. They are aware of the community's interests in securing permanent public access to the bay and the Na Ala Hele shoreline trail. Special Opportunity for Acquisition • Representatives of the landowner have met with Kohala groups and are open to further dialogue. • HILT is a potential funding partner. • Although generations of Kohala people have been using the Old Coast Guard Road to get all the way to the coast, the road is not a public road when it enters the subject property. Thus, there is no legal public access easement to ensure that the shoreline access remains open. • Acquisition could take the form of a conservation easement, fee-simple, or both. 1.14