Sugg. 25-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Preservation of forests, including beaches,coastal areas, natural beauty,and agricultural lands Beaches and Coastal Lands: Protection of the propertywill enable community co-stewardship of Kealakekua Bay.The Bay(which measures 1 mi. long and'/z mi.wide) is one of the most sheltered natural bays on the island, known for its clear waters and underwater visibility.The 315 acre Bay is a Marine Life Conservation District(MLCD)which includes a shallow coral reef ecosystem and habitat for diverse coral,fish (akule, `opelu, kole), shellfish (`opihi: ko`ele, `alinalina, makaiauli),and limn (seaweed) Limu kohu is currently present,while limn pahe`e, limu wawa`iole,and limn lipoa were previously present and HKN hopes to bring them back. Over 100 fish species live in the Bay and their abundance was among the highest recorded in Hawaii.The Bay is also home to a pod of resident nai`a (spinner dolphins)and is one of the few available resting areas for nai`a on the island. The pod ranges from 5 to 110 nai`a.The Bay's abrupt nearshore dropoff made it ideal for anchoring canoes and ships.The local community still relies on the Bay for cultural practice,fishing, and gathering. Agricultural Lands: In pre-contact Hawaii Kealakekua was home to fishing villages along the shoreline with an extensive agricultural field system on the slopes above the pali (cliff). `Ulu (breadfruit)groves hugged the edge of the pali and kalo (taro)and`uala (sweet potato)fields separated by low walls stretched up the inland slopes. Some remnants of the old Kona filed system can still be found inside the Park.While ranchingwas the prominent in the late 1800s and early 1900s, farming of coffee and pineapple and other agricultural activities became more prevalent in the 20th Century. Protecting the property will allow HKN to plant a mala (garden)on a portion of the property with native and canoe plants for food, la`au (medicine), lei,and traditional crafts and implements.The mala will be used for educational and cultural programs and gathering by cultural practitioners. Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply The property lies in the 44-acre Kealakekua Watershed and Aquifer which has a sustainable yield of 38 MGD.The name of the rain here is Haleu`ole.The area surrounding the Bay is a wetter coastal area, receiving as much as 50 inches of rain annually. Preventing development of the property and restoring native vegetation will prevent runoff, erosion, and pollution into the coastal area. The property will enable community stewardship of the Park's water resources. Groundwater plumes emanate from the coastline surrounding Kealakekua Bay at brackish springs along the shore.Wailokoali`i is a muliwai (brackish water pond)at Napo`opo`o beach that has a rock bottom from ancient times but is becoming filled with sediment.The pond is home to wetland insects, including the native blue darner, globe skimmer, orange black damselfly,and was previously home to`opae`ula.The Ka`awaloa wetland is overgrown with invasive vegetation.