Comm 26-062 - LOS 26-08 McKLamb, Margaret

Home

Comm 26-062 From:Margaret McKLamb To:PONC Subject:Protect the Hklia Cave Date:Wednesday, March 4, 2026 3:17:59 PM Aloha PONC Commissioners, My name is Margaret, and I respectfully submit this testimony in strong support of preservation actions that protect the Hklia Cave (Hokulia lava-tube system). Preserving this site is not only about protecting a geological feature; it is about safeguarding a shared inheritance that benefits community members, future generations, and the scientific understanding that informs responsible stewardship across Hawaii Island. For residents, preservation of Hklia Cave affirms the protection of place-based identity and continuity. Lava tubes are part of the living landscape that shapes how communities understand their relationship to ina. They hold ecological memory and physical evidence of past environments that ground present-day stewardship decisions. When such sites are damaged or lost, the loss is permanent. Protection signals that some spaces hold value beyond short-term developmentÏthat they are essential to the islandÓs long-term well-being. For educators and students, preserved cave systems provide opportunities for place-based learning that connect geology, ecology, and cultural history. Maintaining their integrity allows future generations to experience and learn from these environments in ways that cannot be replicated once altered. For scientists and resource managers, lava tubes function as nonrenewable environmental archives. Sediments and deposits within caves may preserve records of vegetation change, fire history, climate variability, and biodiversity across centuries. These records inform wildfire mitigation, watershed protection, and conservation planning. Once disturbed, the information they contain cannot be recovered. Preserving Hklia Cave therefore supports evidence- based management that benefits the entire county. Because subterranean systems often lack obvious surface visibility, their significance can be underestimated in parcel-based evaluations. I respectfully urge the Commission, particularly as it considers amendments to its rules and prioritization processes, to ensure that caves and lava tubes are clearly recognized as qualifying resources deserving proactive protection. Protecting Hklia Cave aligns directly with the CommissionÓs purpose to preserve lands of natural, historic, and community value for present and future generations. I respectfully request that this testimony be included in the official record and that strong consideration be given to preservation measures that safeguard this site for the benefit of the broader community. Respectfully, -- Margaret McKLamb Master of Science Student Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science University of Hawaii at Hilo