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PRIORITY #1: KOKUA KEALAKEKUA <br />(92.143 %) <br />TMK No (3) 8-1-009:007 & 008, consisting of approximately 1.26 acres in Ka'awaloa. South <br />Kona (District 6) <br />Kealakekua, named for the olii (chief) and okuo mono (shark <br />god) Kua, is a beloved wohi kupuno (ancestral place) in South <br />Kona. <br />Located near the well-known Ka'awaloa <br />Trailhead that leads to Kealakekua Bay <br />State Historical Park, the property sits at <br />the intersection to Napo'opo'o road, a <br />critical and heavily trafficked access -point <br />for local residents and non-residents into a <br />culturally rich and ecologically diverse <br />landscape. The two adjacent properties <br />are in the ahupua'a of Ka'awaloa and falls <br />within the wahi pana (storied place) of <br />Kealakekua Bay. The property aims to <br />support meaningful and better -managed <br />access to the 537-acre Kealakekua Bay <br />State Historical Park. <br />Anticipated Use: <br />The property itself is a critical component to <br />implementation of the Community Action Plan (CAP) because it will become the gateway and <br />access -management point for the Ka'awaloa trail and Kealakekua Bay, serving as a kipuka for <br />restoration, cultural and educational programs, and connectivity of people to place. This <br />anticipated kipuka will also provide a safe space for a multi -faceted and diverse community to <br />connect to place and learn how to appropriately engage with not only a cultural landscape, but <br />with each other. <br />Establishing a cultural stewardship center at the entrance to both main access -points of the bay <br />will allow community agency in the implementation of carrying -capacity limits, reduction of <br />recreational -use, prevention of inappropriate access and overuse, and establish culturally <br />sensitive codes -of -conduct. This will support stewards in long-term community -based, culturally <br />grounded stewardship and management and ensures safe and self -aware access into <br />Ka'awaloa and Kealakekua. Additionally, it provides a foundation for regenerative tourism, <br />community empowerment, and allows visitors the opportunity to build their own relationships <br />and connections with this space. <br />Significance and Management: <br />The Ka'awaloa trail and Kealakekua Bay Historical Park, as well as the many other coastal <br />access points that extend beyond these areas, face a multitude of challenges due to extensive <br />overuse and unmanaged access. In 2024, the Ka'awaloa trail was recorded to have been <br />accessed by over 53,000 individuals with the intent to hike to the bay. This does not account for <br />vehicular access to Kealakekua Bay Historical Park, nor does it account for coastal access by <br />boat or non -motor watercraft (e.g. kayak, stand-up paddleboard, canoe, etc.). <br />Although the property itself is generally comprised of non-native invasive vegetation and is not <br />currently a significant habitat for native species, the bay which it serves to support access to is a <br />EXHIBIT A <br />