HomeMy WebLinkAboutWaipi'o Valley (Focused Discussion) Community Actions HandoutDRAFT HAMAKUA FOCUSED DISCUSSION —Waipi'o Valley —May 18,2o16
North Hawaii Education and Research Center (NHERC), Honoka`a
Draft Hamakua CDP
4.9.5 Waipi`o Valley: Community Action
Community Action 16: Form a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity for community empowerment to
develop a Land Management Partnership.
Need: Following the Great Mahele in 1848, Charles Kana'ina assumed ownership of 5,800 acres in
Waipi'o Valley. Ultimately Charles Reed Bishop purchased the land, and in 1896 the land was conveyed
to Bishop Museum. The Museum continues to lease its land to Waipi'o Valley taro farmers. A history of
differing perspectives in the Valley on natural and cultural resource protection, water and stream
maintenance management, public access, and tourism have resulted in little progress towards
resolution of these fundamental issues over the years.
Since 1999, the Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley has been meeting on generally a monthly basis to
identify and discuss issues and concerns relative to the Waipi'o Valley. The draft Waipi'o Valley
Community Action Plan was developed in response to the issues, concerns, and suggestions that were
raised at the Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley Meetings, as well as from other discussions with other
community members. The Action Plan represents a broad range of interests, issues, ideals and concerns
and serves as a guide for the implementation of a possible detailed Master Plan for Waipi'o Valley.
Progress has been made in Land Management Partnership project through the Farmer Training Program
at North Hawaii Education and Research Center and by farmers who are offering practitioner training on
an informal basis.
Potential Community Lead: Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the Future)
Potential Community Partners: NHERC, Bishop Museum, Kamehameha Schools, residents, other
landowners, taro farmers
Potential Allies: Aha Moku Advisory Committee, County of Hawai'i (County Public Access, Open Space,
and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC), Cultural Resources Commission), DLNR
Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), Hawai'i
Community Stewardship Network, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiian
Islands Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, O'ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council, The
Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Potential Next Steps:
• Identify additional community partners, stakeholder, and landowner;
• Understand options and steps for organizing a Land Management Partnership;
• Organize a meeting of potential community partners to discuss Land Management Partnership
options.
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Oreanizational Considerations:
It can be cumbersome and expensive to obtain and maintain tax-exempt status, so it may be wise to use
existing organizations when possible.
However, there may come a point where more sophisticated, community -managed organizations are
needed. Cooperatives, community development corporations (CDCs), non-profit social enterprises, and
community land trusts are tools that communities can use to lead and manage their own community
improvement efforts.
Community Action 17: Develop a detailed Master Plan for Waipi'o Valley, including a
community-based management plan for the Waipi'o Valley Heritage center.
Need: In order to comprehensively manage the range of issues in Waipi'o Valley, a master plan needs to
be developed.
Potential Community Lead: Action Committee, Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the
Future)
Potential Community Partners: Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the Future), Bishop
Museum, Kamehameha Schools, residents, other landowners, taro farmers
Potential Allies: Aha Moku Advisory Committee, County of Hawai'i (County Public Access, Open Space,
and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC), Cultural Resources Commission), DLNR
Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), Hawai'i
Community Stewardship Network, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiian
Islands Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, O'ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council, The
Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Potential Next Steps: The Action Committee can provide leadership by:
• Finding funding to complete a master plan
• Consider stakeholder input
• Document historical and current conditions
• Develop priorities
• Develop appropriate management strategies
Other Resources: Grants and other financial assistance from partners, the Harold K.L. Foundation, the
NOAA Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, US FWS
Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Natural Area Partnership
Program (NAPP), Forest Stewardship Program (FSP), Wetlands Conservation Grants, National Coastal
Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, The Conservation Fund, Conservation Finance Network, Public
Lands Everyday, The Conservation Alliance
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Community Action 18: Secure funding through PONC, DLNR LLCP, or other similar programs
for purchase of easements and potential acquisition of land to protect views of Waipi'o
Valley rim.
Need: The area west and southwest of the Valley is within the Forest Reserve and Special Management
Area, and, consequently, has limited development potential as well as an added level of discretionary
review, through the SMA process. However, the Valley rim on the east and southeast sides are within
the A -40a Zone District, with the potential for one dwelling unit per acre, an 'ohana unit, and additional
farm dwelling units, subject to compliance with HCC Section 25-5-77. By right, the A -40a setbacks are 30
feet front and rear and 20 feet side yards. Consequently, structures can locate and encroach into the
viewshed from the Valley floor. Certain resources are valuable and vulnerable enough to merit
acquisition.
Potential Community Lead: Action Committee
Potential Community Partners: PONC, the Nature Conservancy and the Hawai'i Island Land Trust, Trust
for Public Land (TPL), Land Trust Alliance
Potential Allies: County of Hawai'i (County Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources
Preservation Commission (PONC), Cultural Resources Commission), DLNR Division of Forestry and
Wildlife (DOFAW) and State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), National Park Service (HVNP and
AKNHT), The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, O'ahu Resource
Conservation and Development Council, The Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Potential Next Steps: The Action Committee can provide leadership by:
Submitting recommendations and nominations to the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural
Resources Preservation Commission (PONC).
• Encouraging landowners to establish conservation easements.
Other Resources: Legacy Lands Conservation Program, Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation
Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, Forest Legacy Program, USFWS Recovery Land
Acquisition (RLA) program, USFWS Habitat Conservation
Community Action 19: Support community organizations, such as the Waipi'o Circle, in
developing a watershed plan based on the Waipi'o Valley Stream Management Plan, the
Hanalei Watershed Hui model or similar community-based management plans.
Need: One of the largest valleys in the Hawaiian Islands, the Waipi'o Valley is fed by five streams—
Wailoa River, Waima, Koiawe, Alakahi, Kawainui, and Hi'ilawe —and nine waterfalls that still support
native fauna. The protection and management of these watersheds is particularly important to Waipi'o.
Often, resources and landscapes have multiple owners and fall under several different jurisdictions.
Effective resource management, therefore, requires high levels of collaboration and coordination among
a wide range of agencies and organizations.
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Likewise, few know the resources like those who use and enjoy them. Local Hawaiian families, cultural
practitioners, hunters, fisherman, hikers, farmers, and ranchers who know and frequent the forests,
agriculture lands, and coastline are well-positioned to play a leadership role in managing them.
Potential Community Lead: Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the Future)
Potential Community Partners: residents familiar with local natural resources, owners of shoreline and
agricultural property, Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance, Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, 'Aha Moku Advisory
Committee, Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District, Three Mountain
Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Kamehameha Schools, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, surfers,
fisherman, hunters, hikers
Potential Allies: Makai Watch, Reef Check Hawai'i, Project S.E.A.-Link, UH Sea Grant, NOAA (Office of
Habitat Restoration, Marine Debris Program, Community-based Restoration Program), Hawai'i Island
Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project, KUA: Kua'aina Ulu 'Auamo, Department of Land and Natural
Resources (DOFAW, OCCL, DAR, DOCARE, Fisheries Enforcement Units), DOH Clean Water Branch,
County of Hawai'i (Planning, Game Management Advisory Commission), Big Island Invasive Species
Committee, USFWS Pacific Islands Coastal Program, The Kohala Center, Malama Kai Foundation, Pacific
Fisheries Coalition, Locally -Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network, Landscape Conservation
Stewardship Program, Public Lands Everyday
Potential Next Steps:
To make the best use of limited resources, identify regional management priorities
• Consider stakeholder input, feasibility, and potential benefit/impact when establishing priorities.
• To prioritize watersheds that require protection and/or management, identify major land covers,
land uses, and polluting activities, as recommended by the ORMP (see Appendix V4A). Given the
pristine streams, areas in between the Maulua Gulch to Wailuku River area will likely be priorities.
• For coastal areas, consider a coastal resource management plan, as described above.
Document historical and current conditions in high priority areas using local, place -based knowledge and
the best science available
Clearly identify resources, their significance, and threats.
• Start with existing documentation and maps in the CDP (including the Community Profile and
Appendix V4A), historic maps, past studies, fishermen, hikers, surfers, local Hawaiian families with
ahupua'a-specific knowledge, and other existing resources.
• Map popular hunting, fishing, surfing, swimming, and hiking areas. Though they shouldn't be
publicized, commonly used areas should be identified so that they can be protected and managed.
• Inventory and map undocumented resources in coastal areas, including coastal fish populations,
estuaries, anchialine pools, tidal wetlands, coral reefs, vegetation, turtle nesting and feeding sites,
and monk seal habitat.
• Take great care to keep information about sensitive resources unpublished and not public in order
to minimize impacts, theft, vandalism, and other breaches in protocol.
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Develop site-specific and watershed -specific management plans tailored to high-priority areas and
resources
• Secure assistance with and funding for developing Watershed Management Plans (see Appendix
V4A). Funding sources include the DOH Polluted Runoff Control (PRC) program and DOFAW's
Watershed Partnership Program.
• Develop Watershed Management Plans for high priority areas. Watershed management plans are
data -driven, technical, and detailed plans for specific watersheds that identify the sources of
pollution and the recommended management strategies. Analysis that drives the planning includes
community goals; hazard risks; unique social, cultural, economic, and environmental characteristics;
mauka-makai connections; and stakeholder interests and potential for collaboration. As
recommended by the ORMP, the plans may include strategies to:
• Address specific land-based pollution threats
• Meet total maximum daily load (TMDL) targets
• Leverage state, federal, and private sector funding to implement best management practices
• Monitor best management practices.
Implement management plans for priority areas and resources.
Organizational Considerations:
The Action Committee may want to establish one or more subcommittees to spearhead this action.
Likewise, it may want to ask community partners to assume responsibility for some of the steps.
It may also be helpful for groups to focus on specific high-priority sites or areas.
Other Resources:
Technical guides for developing watershed and other resource management plans (see Appendix V4A)
Other communities: Hanalei Watershed Hui, Kaupulehu Marine Life Advisory Committee, Kahalu'u Bay
Education Center (KBEC), Hui Aloha Kiholo, Hui Malama o Mo'omomi, Blackfoot Challengel
Grants and other financial assistance from partners, the Harold K.L. Foundation, the NOAA Marine
Education and Training Mini Grant Program, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, US FWS Partners for Fish and
Wildlife, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Natural Area Partnership Program (NAPP), Forest
Stewardship Program (FSP), Wetlands Conservation Grants, National Coastal Wetlands Conservation
Grant Program, The Conservation Fund, Conservation Finance Network, Public Lands Everyday, The
Conservation Alliance
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Community Action 20: Strengthen Community capacity through the Hawai'i Community
Stewardship Network.
Need: In order for the Waipi'o Community to be actively involved in management and implementation
of a master plan, it needs to build capacity and support.
Potential Community Lead: Action Committee, Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the
Future)
Potential Community Partners: Community Circle of Waipi'o Valley (Friends of the Future), Bishop
Museum, Kamehameha Schools, residents, other landowners, taro farmers
Potential Next Steps: The Action Committee can provide leadership by:
• Partnering with organizations that help build community capacity to implement programs to achieve
their community objectives, such as resource protection. One such example in the state is HCSN.
HCSN helps communities that request support to improve their quality of life through caring for
their environmental heritage. HCSN provides resources and technical assistance in the following
areas: community advocacy, natural and sociocultural resources management, youth engagement,
community-based economic development, capacity -building for community-based organizations,
and monitoring and evaluating program impacts. HCSN also convenes the E Alu Pu (move forward
together) network consisting of 25 communities statewide, including Ka 'Ghana o Honu'apo, Ka
'Ghana o Honaunau, Kalapana Fishing Council, Kama'aina United to Protect the 'Aina (Ho'okena),
and Pa'a Pono Miloli'i.
HCSN's vision for community stewardship is that the following four conditions are a broad-based reality
in Hawai'i:
• Communities are decision -makers. Community members understand the political and legal
processes that affect the environment, and they actively participate in those processes and with the
responsible agencies. They are proactive, working to put their vision into place, and they remain
maka'ala (aware) of proposals that would erode their vision.
• Communities are resource managers. Community members — especially those that understand their
environmental heritage through consistent interaction with it — are active participants in the day-to-
day, on -the -ground management of a place, and they pass the knowledge, skills, and kuleana ethic
to upcoming generations.
• Communities adapt to lessons learned and changing conditions. Community members consistently
monitor their management activities and regularly assess how changes to environmental, social, or
political conditions may be affecting their efforts. They improve and adapt their activities
accordingly.
• Communities sustain their projects for as long as is needed to reach their goals. Community
members build economically viable and institutionally strong projects or organizations that are
supported by an engaged community that effectively manages conflict.
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