Comm 26-046 - LOS 26-06 Chong, Skyler

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Comm 26-046 From:Skyler Chong To:PONC Testimony Subject:Hakalauiki Testimony Date:Wednesday, March 4, 2026 8:58:50 AM 3/4/26 Aloha County of Hawaii and PONC commission, This testimony is in support of the application to purchase the shoreline easement of Hakalauiki (TMK 2-9-002:001) in perpetuity by the County through the Public Access Open Spaces and Natural Resources Preservation (PONC) Fund process. The shoreline of Hakalau has been an important gathering place for the North Hilo community for over a thousand years. Manamana is a cherished fishing area within Hakalau that continues to feed families and sustain cultural practices today. The listing of this stretch of shoreline, which is nearly half a mile long, presents a rare opportunity to ensure long-term public access and enable community-led restoration efforts. Without swift action, this property could be purchased and this opportunity and resource lost forever. My name is Skyler Chong and I was born and raised in Hilo Palik. Although I grew up in this area, the only stories that I heard related to this ina and peoples' relationships to it were centered around the sugar plantation era and its lasting harm. As an adult, I now know that this area is rich with moolelo (stories) and referenced heavily in mele (songs) and oli (chants), all of which speak to the ancestral connections that many Knaka iwi hold and have held to these places since time immemorial. However, Hilo Palik today still lacks an abundance of physical spaces in which community members can gather to further revitalize ina, retell stories, relive practices, and rebuild pilina (relationships) that will support the health of these spaces for generations to come. I believe that Kmauliola and Makahanaloa Fishing Association have the ability to create exactly this type of space in Hakalauiki. Manamana is significant for its shoreline fishery, its two streams, its native plant resources, and its potential as a center for community-based restoration. I hope to support these organizations in their mission to realize this potential however I can and I strongly urge the County PONC Commission to highly rate this application. Please help preserve the shoreline of Hakalauiki for the sake of our current and future communties, Mahalo nui, Skyler Chong Ka'ie'ie, Hilo Palik, Moku o Keawe