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COUNTY OF HAWAI`I STATE OF HAWAI`I
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RESOLUTION NO.S2 ax
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO ENTER INTO
NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LANDS OR CONSERVATION
EASEMENTS FOR ALL OR A PORTION OF THE PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED AS
TAX MAP KEY NOS. (3) 8-1-009:007 AND 008, ALSO KNOWN AS KOKUA
KEALAKEKUA, SITUATED IN THE AHUPUA`A OF KA`AWALOA, DISTRICT OF
SOUTH KONA, UTILIZING THE PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE, AND NATURAL
RESOURCES PRESERVATION FUND.
WHEREAS, Chapter 2, Article 42 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as
amended) (hereinafter "the Code"), establishes a Public Access, Open Space, and Natural
Resources Preservation Fund; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-214.1(c) of the Code provides that the Public Access, Open
Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund shall be used for "acquiring lands or property
entitlements in the County of Hawaii for the following purposes:
(1) Public outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains;
(2) Preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites;
(3) Protection of natural resources, including buffer zones;
(4) Preservation of forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty and agricultural lands;
and
(5) Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply"; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-217 of the Code provides, in part, that the duties and
responsibilities of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation
Commission (hereinafter "the Commission") include developing and submitting to the Mayor an
initial prioritized list of qualifying lands worthy of preservation and updating the list annually by
December 31 of each year; and
WHEREAS, the K6kua Kealakekua Property, described in Exhibit A, attached hereto
and incorporated herein by reference, consists of approximately 1.26 acres, and is ranked the
highest priority for acquisition in the Commission's 2025 Annual Report to the Mayor dated
December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-218(a) of the Code provides, in pertinent part, that: "[t]he
council shall, by resolution, select the land or lands to be preserved..." and "[w]here there are
multiple lands under consideration at any one time, priority shall be given to... lands where
matching funding is available to leverage the County contribution."; and
WHEREAS, on April 25, 2025, the State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural
Resources approved for a Legacy Land Conservation Grant Award in the amount of $700,000 to
nonprofit Ho`ala Kealakekua Nui to purchase and protect the Kokua Kealakekua Property, a
significant amount of matching funding for the acquisition; and
WHEREAS, Ho`ala Kealakekua Nui's mission is to engage in collaborative stewardship
of Kealakekua Bay's natural and cultural landscape to benefit the whole community, including
guests and future generations, through active restoration, outreach, and education; and
WHEREAS, Kealakekua Bay is threatened by unmanaged tourism, habitat degradation,
overuse, and desecration of cultural sites; and
WHEREAS, the Kokua Kealakekua Property sits mauka of the Ka`awaloa trailhead, also
known as Captain Cook Monument Trail, and will become a managed gateway to accessing the
537-acre Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park, a vast cultural and natural landscape that
contains heiau complexes, anchialine ponds, the historic Kona agricultural field system, fishing
villages, burial grounds, and Kealakekua Bay, which is a Marine Life Conservation District,
home to a coral reef ecosystem and diverse marine habitat; and
WHEREAS, the acquisition of title or conservation easement for the Kokua Kealakekua
Property would be significantly beneficial to the County for the following reasons:
(1) Protecting cultural and natural resources;
(2) Preserving and restoring native species;
(3) Facilitating responsible managed public access to Ka`awaloa trail;
(4) Enabling descendant and community -based management, stewardship, and economic
development; and
(5) Perpetuating the lifestyle, culture, and history of South Kona; and
WHEREAS, there has been great support from organizations for the conservation of the
Kokua Kealakekua Property, including H6'ala Kealakekua Nui, the Trust for Public Land, along
with State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I that,
pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 42 of the Code, the Director of Finance is hereby authorized to
enter into negotiations for the acquisition of lands or conservation easements, or both, for all or a
portion of the properties identified as Tax Map Key Nos. (3) 8-1-009:007 and 008, also known as
the Kokua Kealakekua Property, situated in the Ahupua`a of Ka`awaloa, District of South Kona,
utilizing the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Finance is hereby authorized to
initiate any funding mechanisms required for the acquisition of lands or conservation easements
for all or a portion of the properties, in accordance with the terms of this resolution.
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this
resolution to the Honorable C. Kimo Alameda, Mayor of the County of Hawai`i; Diane
Nakagawa, Director of Finance; Dawn N. S. Chang, Chairperson of the Board of Land and
Natural Resources; Summer Sylva, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Office of Hawaiian Affairs;
and Deborah Chang, Chairperson of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources
Preservation Commission.
Dated at Hilo ,Hawaii,this 20th day of May , 20 26.
INTRODUCED BY:
COUNCIL ER, COUNTY OF HAWAI`I
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawai`i AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawai`i GALIMBA X.
HUSTACE X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by INABA X
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KAGIWADA X
County of Hawai`i on May 20, 2026
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X
KIERKIEWICZ X
A IT EST: KIMBALL X
ONISHI X
VILLEGAS X
9 0 0 0
Reference: C-865/LAAC-41
UNTY CLE CHAIRPERSON&PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. 552 26
I IIII11111I1111111IIII
3 LRB 25-194 D6
PRIORITY #1: KOKUA KEALAKEKUA
(92.143 %)
TMK No (3) 8-1-009:007 & 008, consisting of approximately 1.26 acres in Ka'awaloa. South
Kona (District 6)
Kealakekua, named for the olii (chief) and okuo mono (shark
god) Kua, is a beloved wohi kupuno (ancestral place) in South
Kona.
Located near the well-known Ka'awaloa
Trailhead that leads to Kealakekua Bay
State Historical Park, the property sits at
the intersection to Napo'opo'o road, a
critical and heavily trafficked access -point
for local residents and non-residents into a
culturally rich and ecologically diverse
landscape. The two adjacent properties
are in the ahupua'a of Ka'awaloa and falls
within the wahi pana (storied place) of
Kealakekua Bay. The property aims to
support meaningful and better -managed
access to the 537-acre Kealakekua Bay
State Historical Park.
Anticipated Use:
The property itself is a critical component to
implementation of the Community Action Plan (CAP) because it will become the gateway and
access -management point for the Ka'awaloa trail and Kealakekua Bay, serving as a kipuka for
restoration, cultural and educational programs, and connectivity of people to place. This
anticipated kipuka will also provide a safe space for a multi -faceted and diverse community to
connect to place and learn how to appropriately engage with not only a cultural landscape, but
with each other.
Establishing a cultural stewardship center at the entrance to both main access -points of the bay
will allow community agency in the implementation of carrying -capacity limits, reduction of
recreational -use, prevention of inappropriate access and overuse, and establish culturally
sensitive codes -of -conduct. This will support stewards in long-term community -based, culturally
grounded stewardship and management and ensures safe and self -aware access into
Ka'awaloa and Kealakekua. Additionally, it provides a foundation for regenerative tourism,
community empowerment, and allows visitors the opportunity to build their own relationships
and connections with this space.
Significance and Management:
The Ka'awaloa trail and Kealakekua Bay Historical Park, as well as the many other coastal
access points that extend beyond these areas, face a multitude of challenges due to extensive
overuse and unmanaged access. In 2024, the Ka'awaloa trail was recorded to have been
accessed by over 53,000 individuals with the intent to hike to the bay. This does not account for
vehicular access to Kealakekua Bay Historical Park, nor does it account for coastal access by
boat or non -motor watercraft (e.g. kayak, stand-up paddleboard, canoe, etc.).
Although the property itself is generally comprised of non-native invasive vegetation and is not
currently a significant habitat for native species, the bay which it serves to support access to is a
EXHIBIT A
Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) and although currently dominated by non-native
species, the native species are resilient and ever-present across the land, sea, and sky. With
over 100 species of fish living in the bay, and as one of the few -available resting areas for
dolphins on the island, the bay is heavily sought out by visitors for aquatic -recreational
experiences and beloved by the local community who relies on the bay for cultural practices,
fishing, and subsistence lifestyles.
Over 50,000 people access Keolakekuo Boy and Kaawoloo per year, either by boat, non -motor boating (kayaks, stand-up
poddle boards, etc), hiking, and vehicular access.
The property lies within the 44-acre watershed and aquifer of Kealakekua, which has a
sustainable yield of 38 million gallons per day (MGD) and whose health is vital to ensure the
health of its reliant communities. Property acquisition will support community -stewardship and
more active engagement in watershed management as it pertains to the groundwater plumes
which emanate from the coastline surrounding Kealakekua Bay and the near -shore anchialine
ponds and springs such as Wailokoali'i. Current efforts by Ho'ala Kealakekua Nui and the
extended community include a partnership with The Nature Conservancy to design and test
various coral growth methods for Kanu Ko'a. This place -based initiative to restore coastal
marine habitat along the west coast of Hawai'i Island is being conducted by means of several
preparation steps not -possible without the support of community volunteers. Rooted in
traditional ecological knowledge derived from the Kumulipo (a Hawaiian creation chant),
implementation of these restoration efforts honors the cultural and ecological significance of
coral as a first-born and foundational component of our community, emphasizing that the
resilience of the people and the lands is intrinsically tied to the resilience of the marine
ecosystems.
A location of great importance to the history of the Hawaiian people, Kealakekua is a storied
landscape, revered by the people who have called it home for generations and who will continue
to do so for generations to come. It was the first -known extensive contact between the Hawaiian
people and Europeans when Captain James Cook arrived in January 1779. Subsequently killed
there upon his second arrival for his role in the kidnapping of Kalani'opu'u, ruling chief of the
island, Cook played a dominant role in the history of Kealakekua for many generations. A
controversial monument honoring Cook remains standing at Ka'awaloa, visible from across the
bay at Kealakekua. However, the bay was likely populated between 900 and 1300 A.D., long
before the arrival of Captain Cook, and was a known epicenter of Kona_ An abundant coastal
sanctuary, the Kealakekua community was a thriving fishery and was first visited by a different
foreigner known as Kua. A chief and shark god from Ka'u, just like Cook, Kua was not of any
4..
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Hikiau Heiau is located within the Keofokekua Boy Historrcol Pork
and can be accessed through Nopoopoo rood and is currently
stewarded by Hoola Keolakekuo Nui.
known genealogical ties to this place. In
his expeditions he sighted the bay and,
when his arrived, he held himself with a
humility, care, and respect for the place
and community and was met with
reciprocity. Kua learned from this place,
engaging and participating in the
traditional practices and protocols of its
people. Stories of his time in Kealakekua
emphasize his willingness to learn, his
genuine care, and his efforts to feed into
the people and places which cared for
and fed him. Kapukapu bay was named
Kealakekua, "the path of Kua," to honor
Kua, a foreigner who took the time to
aloha 'aina, showing us that there is value
in cultural -exchanges and that if done so
appropriately, there is strength and
resilience in the new relationships that
result.
In support of strengthening the stewardship of Kealakekua, the community strives to perpetually
engage and strengthen the long-term relationships of place and people and in doing so, develop
a foundation of community connectivity, awareness, and understanding that leads to a more
adaptive, resilient, and sustaining future for Kealakekua overall.
These properties would support and enhance long -existing connections within a part of the
ancient and historic agricultural field systems of Kona, fishing villages, Hikiau and
Helehelekalani Heiau, an extensive ancient and historic trail system, anchialine pools, ponds,
birthing sites, house sites, burial grounds, and numerous other culturally significant features
representative of a rich history and deeply influential community space.
Special Opportunities:
• Protection of the property sets a precedent for collaborative landscape planning and
land -protection strategies that emphasize land -connections rather than land -divisions,
supporting traditional ecological knowledge and practices and decentralizing western
narratives and perspectives in land -management.
■ Cultivating a community -space for non-resident, resident, local, cultural- and lineal -
descendant members of the community to exchange knowledge, develop meaningful
relationships, and connect through appropriate avenues to place and people -of -place.
■ Support the development and implementation of appropriate management of a
historically overused and undervalued cultural landscape which may contribute to a
large-scale effort of local communities to protect and perpetuate place -based cultural
practices and traditions, ensuring coastal resilience into the future.
■ Willing landowners and other funding sources are in place for a smooth acquisition
process.
Strengths:
■ The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is partnering with nonprofit Ho'ala Kealakekua Nui to
fulfill the South Kona community's vision to foster a space for community stewardship
and adaptive co -management of Kealakekua Bay which will honor traditional place -based
knowledge and practices.
The Kealakekua Bay Community Action Plan (CAP) is a document that has been
thoroughly developed and refined by the multi -faceted community of Kealakekua and
implies a strong path forward for partners that would serve as stewards of the properties
nominated.
Community support and collaboration is prevalent in the nomination of these properties
and their future stewardship. Partnerships have been identified, and needs have been
defined for appropriate collaboration and stewardship.
Weaknesses:
■ No weaknesses identified.
Concerns and Other Thoughts:
Current scoring systems for PONC nominations do not necessarily account for the
significance of these properties as an extension and access -point of the cultural and natural
areas which do not fall within its property boundaries. The significance of the extended
landscape and community must be understood and emphasized as part of the property
value and the property nomination itself must be seen as an integral part of the extended
lands and waters of Ka`awaloa and Kealakekua. Viewing these spaces as undeniably
connected and interwoven is critical to considering the extended landscape in scoring
processes.
Report by: Cayla Crivello, Vice Chair, PONC Commission
Photos by: Cayla Crivello, Vice Chair, PONC Commission