HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0814.002 2022-2024April 29, 2024
Sent via email
County of Hawaii, County Council
Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions (LAAC)
counciltestimonyL@hawaiicounty•gov
Re; Testimony in Support of Resolution 486-24
Aloha Chair Inaba and Members of the Committee:
P I LAAc
dies, a gc-2ti
COW. 8Iy
•'.� , <
The Ala Kahakai Trail Association (ATA) strongly supports Resolution 486. Our
organization is committed to assisting the North Kona and South Kohala
communities in the protection of ancient and historic trail systems and
surrounding cultural and natural resources. We believe that community
building through stewardship programs and community -based trail management
is a direction towards a sustainable future for Hawaii.
A registered non-profit established in 2008, ATA's mission is to support and
guide a community -managed trail that honors those who came before and
perpetuates for those to follow -- with protocols and respect for Hawai`i's past,
present and future. Congress added the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail to
the National Trails System in 2000 for the preservation, protection and
interpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources.
Today, the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is a 175-mile corridor and trail
network of cultural and historical significance. It traverses through hundreds of
ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and over 200 ahupua`a extending from 'Upolu
Point on the north tip of Hawaii Island down the west coast of the island
around Ka Lae (South Point) to the east boundary of Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park. We are a Native Hawaiian Organization and our board is comprised of
mostly descendants with ancestral ties to geographic sections of the trail. We
lw rui"s'if5 0 iti €u sA1-l'urt o r d rgu'r1ln :o r:;31111 111 ity Isms Tarjnd thist hwml ihwi c vsh) '.ilvw Mlili> n t1pd fu:rpr.lirnIP:'i fur
lirnsr: Eu fnll+i:v �,:ilir �rrolaIld ruspct:t fol past, pirrsant oild firlti[a. L
Comm. ' '
Ref.To;
Ref, fate
manage ancient and historic trail systems and their associated cultural and
natural landscapes on approximately 7500 acres here on Hawai'i Island. Our
goal is to connect our communities with the trail through preservation and
community -based management.
The property falls within the corridor of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.
At least three main trails or trail complexes are associated with the parcel. The
coastal foot trail or "ala nui aupuni" runs through the property along the sandy
seashore. In addition, a network of mauka to makai trails traverse the property,
linking several caves, habitation sites and anchialine ponds with 'opae Va. The
well-known Kiholo-Puako trail ("King's Highway") also called the Government
Road, Alaloa, or Mamalahoa trail, is located approximately 150 feet beyond the
eastern boundary of the property. It was the main thoroughfare through this
area into the 1880s and its pathway through the Waikoloa Beach Resort and
Mauna Lani Resort area has been preserved. An older trail runs somewhat
parallel with the Kiholo-Puako trail just east of the property. Both of these
main trails connect to local trails within the parcel.
The parcel hosts a significant cultural landscape which includes a traditional
boundary marker between North Kona and South Kohala known as
Hi'iakaika'ale'i, also called the Hi'iaka Heiau and a complex of petroglyphs
which blanket the roof of an important water collection cave.
If the preservation is successful, we intend to support local community
organizations and descendants who are eager to continue stewarding cultural
and natural resources along the trail.
Mahalo for this opportunity.
Keoni Fox
Ala Kahakai Trail Association
fox@aiakahak-aitrail.org
0III 111I ,ti I13 fl 1;: I!] tiInppIIIt :11111 (Ilia ;I I'.IMIi1111 OIY it all,lq i 11i111 UI;11 hollm s 11111S1' 1'l to f..tlll Fl 61dol I! ;31111 111:i �1 t=1i1 �111.:� 11Yi
Ulw;e 1n hdho..r .vIIII plrtlur,uls, 011d Inspect 1nl }t,l,;r,l'€Ts pa:el, plt.,rrnt 1Iod h1€dle.