HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm 26-057 - LOS 26-08 Ninomoto, Brianna
Comm 26-057
Aloha PONC Commissioners,
My name is Brianna Ninomoto 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.
This area has shown importance for residents, educators, scientists and resource managers. This
lava tubeÓs discovery can contribute to many empty answers of old Hawaii. By filling gaps with
the knowledge that can be obtained by protecting this cave allows for better future management
and protection policies. 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.
Additionally, 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.
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. Maintaining their integrity allows future
generations to experience and learn from these environments in ways that cannot be replicated
once altered.
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,
Brianna Ninomoto