Sugg. 25-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Attachment E - PONC 2025 - Kumukahi 5. Describe any special opportunities for acquisition that presently exist. There is a unique and time-sensitive opportunity to consolidate ownership of Kumukahi for cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and public safety. All current landowners have been engaged in discussions, and several have expressed willingness to sell or donate their properties, creating an unprecedented alignment of interests that facilitates acquisition efforts. Willing Sellers&Potential Easements • Kapoho Land & Development, Kumukahi Properties LLC, and Roseanne Oda-Ching Trust have all confirmed their willingness to sell, significantly reducing the barriers typically associated with land acquisition efforts. • Tobin property interests have indicated openness to either selling or establishing a preservation easement, which would provide long-term protection for culturally and environmentally sensitive areas while maintaining some private ownership rights. Government Transfers • Both the Dept. of Land & Natural Resources and the University of Hawai'i have agreed to transfer their parcels to the County via Executive Order, expediting the process and reducing financial burdens associated with land purchases. • The University of Hawai'i parcel already includes a Burial Treatment Plan adopted in 2023, ensuring that existing protections will remain in place and could be expanded as part of a comprehensive preservation strategy. Strategic Benefits of Consolidation By bringing these parcels under unified County management, this acquisition effort would: • Protect wahi kupuna and 'iwi kupuna from desecration and destruction. • Preserve critical ecosystems, including nesting habitats for the endangered green sea turtle and rare native plant species. • Enhance public safety by mitigating risks associated with hazardous ocean conditions, derelict structures, and uncontrolled visitor traffic. • Ensure responsible management and stewardship through a comprehensive preservation plan developed in consultation with lineal descendants and cultural practitioners. • Secure long-term public access while preventing overuse and exploitation of this culturally and environmentally significant area. The time to act is now before development pressures, visitor impacts, and environmental degradation make preservation efforts significantly more challenging and costly.