HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm 26-087 - LOS 26-08 Cave Conservancy of Hawaii
Comm 26-087
Cave Conservancy of Hawai'i
P.O. Box 7083
Ocean View, Hawaii 96737
www.hawaiicaves.org
March 6, 2026
Aloha Commissioners of the Hawaii County Public Access, Open Space, and Natural
Resources Preservation Commission:
The Cave Conservancy of Hawai’i, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based on Hawai’I Island,
respectfully submits this testimony in strong support of actions to preserve the Hokulia lava
tube system, namely in support of Sugg. 26-08, Hokuli' a, South Kona, Hawaii TMK( 3) 8- 1-
027: 021. Our mission is, among other things, to provide protection and conservation for the
valuable resources of Hawaii’s lava tube caves.
Our members, and the researchers we collaborate with, have studied a large variety of lava
tube systems across Hawai’i Island, as well as on many of the other islands and worldwide.
For Hawai’i, Hokuli’a Cave is a unique system for several reasons. The age and location of the
cave is within a portion of the island where very little exploration of lave tubes has occurred.
The age of the flow (greater than 10,000 years) makes this cave one of a very small number
that have been identified in flows that old and with the potential to preserve evidence of what
this Island was like prior to the arrival of humans. Safeguarding this amazing resource to
provide time for us learn what it has to teach us preserves an inheritance that will benefit all of
Hawai’i now and into the future and will help us to responsibly care for the lands of this amazing
island.
Within just a few months’ time, Hokuli’a Cave has yielded a complete skeleton of the now extinct
flightless Giant Hawaiian Nene, Branta rhuax, as well as other birds, snails, crabs and seeds.
The cave is also full of tree molds, ranging in size from small vines and shrubs to large trees
that were on the island long ago when the climate was potentially very different. In addition, and
very unusual for a lava tube, Hokuli’a contains a large deposit of sediment at the makai end that
we understand has already yielded some interesting discoveries.
We urge you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to protect and learn about our past,
affirming that we care about our place-based identity, our living landscape, and our relationship
to the ‘aina. If this site is damaged, the loss will be permanent. Protecting it is evidence that
some places and spaces are valuable for more than short-term development. Rather they are
important to the Island’s long-term well-being.
Scientific study of this site should provide opportunities for students, professionals, and citizen
scientists of all ages. Educators will find opportunities for place-based learning that integrate
geology, ecology, climate, hydrology, and paleontology. While no cultural remains have been
found to date, it can provide clues as to what the ancient Hawaiians may have found when they
arrived on the island. These opportunities for experience and learning from an undisturbed site
will be lost forever if Hokuli’a Cave is damaged or destroyed. Furthermore, 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
Comm 26-087
protection, and conservation planning. Once disturbed, the information they contain cannot be
recovered.
Because lava tube systems and caves are often hidden from the surface, their significance can
be underestimated in parcel-based evaluations. We 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 Commission’s purpose to preserve lands of natural,
historic, and community value for present and future generations. We respectfully request that
strong consideration be given to preservation measures that safeguard this site for the benefit of
the broader community.
Respectfully,
Scott Engel
President
Cave Conservancy of Hawai’i