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WHEREAS, Section 2-218(a) of the Code provides, in pertinent part, that "[t]he council
<br />shall, by resolution, select the land or lands to be preserved..."; and "[w]here there are multiple
<br />lands under consideration at any one time, priority shall be given to coastal lands and lands
<br />where matching funding is available to leverage the County contribution'; and
<br />WHEREAS, Kumukahi lies within the Ahupua`a of Kula, an area that supports a range
<br />of native species and interconnected ecosystems, and the integrity of this natural environment is
<br />increasingly threatened by unmanaged access, inappropriate use, and the introduction and
<br />proliferation of non-native invasive species along its coastlines; and
<br />WHEREAS, the acquisition of title and conservation easements for Kumukahi properties
<br />would be significantly beneficial to the County and our island community in the following
<br />reasons:
<br />1. Preservation of a renowned wahi pana and wahi kupuna containing burial sites,
<br />heiau, and other historical features, including its significance as the hikina
<br />(eastern point) of Ko Hawai`i Pae`aina, symbolically representing beginnings,
<br />birth, and new life;
<br />2. Preservation of Kumukahi as leina, a transitional place of deep spiritual
<br />significance to the Hawaiian people and lineal descendants;
<br />3. Protection and stewardship of native ecosystems and coastal marine resources
<br />with the Kula Ahupua`a that support traditional gathering and fishing practices;
<br />4. Providing managed public access for education, shoreline recreation, navigation,
<br />ceremonial practice, and traditional cultural practices, in partnership with lineal
<br />descendants and community organizations; and
<br />WHEREAS, the urgency of acquisition is heightened by the anticipated reopening of the
<br />Highway 132 section forming "Four Comers," which leads to Kumukahi, by December 2026,
<br />which will significantly increase public access to Kumukahi, necessitating established
<br />stewardship and management infrastructure; now, therefore,
<br />BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I that
<br />pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 42 of the Code, the Director of Finance is hereby authorized to
<br />enter into negotiations for the acquisition of lands or conservation easements, or both, for all or a
<br />portion of the properties identified as Tax Map Key Nos. (3) 1-1-002:002, 017, 042, 047, 048,
<br />058, 065, 072, 080, 081, 082, 085, 092, and 100, also known as Kumukahi, situated in the
<br />Ahupua`a of Kula, District of Puna, utilizing the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural
<br />Resources Preservation Fund.
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