Honuapo
From dKosopedia
Categories: Hawaii County, Hawaii | Planning in Hawaii | Hawaii County planning
Honu'apo, a historic coastal area located in the region of Ka'u on the island of Hawai'i. The Trust for Public Land and Ka 'Ohana O Honu`apo acquired 225 acres for a park at Honu`apo.
From the Land Trust Alliance website [1]:
- Honu’apo Bay and its surrounding tidal wetlands were part of a sugar plantation. Once the plantation closed and the land was put up for sale - 225 shoreline acres for $3.4 million - it was dangerously close to becoming residentially zoned and overdeveloped like the Kona coast of the Big Island.
- Fortunately, members of the community in nearby towns - Na’alehu and Pahala - weren’t about to let this happen. Forming a community group, Ka Ohana O Honu’apo, and working with the Hawaii Island Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and The Trust for Public Land, they secured county, state and federal funds to purchase the land from a private developer. They also received donations from private sources, such as the $40,000 given by new landowners in the area.
- Last December when Ka Ohana O Honu’apo organized a Ho`o`laulea (celebration) for the community at a local park, they raised $14,000 towards protecting Honu’apo Bay in the donation box at the entrance, an impressive feat in such a sparsely populated place with only 6 people per square mile. Replogle remarks, “People came out and gave their hearts, even people who have moved away from Ka’u many years ago came through for their Aina (land).”
- The land has now been turned over to the State of Hawaii from The Trust for Public Land, and will eventually be turned over to the County of Hawaii. Long term plans for it include re-establishing the natural habitat in the estuary, which was damaged during its plantation days, and creating a nursery for fish as well as a possible breeding habitat for the ai`o, the endangered Hawaiian Stilt bird. They also plan to partner with the Department of Parks and Recreation to create and manage the largest park in the state of Hawaii. The park will contain trails for hiking and camping areas, and most importantly, leave plenty of coastline open for Hawaiians to enjoy as they always have. [2]
External links
- Save Ka'u's Coast
- The Jewel of the Ka’u Coastline Land Trust Alliance.
- McNarie, Alan D. Saving Ka'u's Crown Jewel -- County, state and federal officials, private benefactors and massive public support come together to preserve Honu'apo Hawaii Island Journal, January 2006.
- Honolulu Advertiser staff. Big Island coastal land being bought for park Honolulu Advertiser, February 24, 2006.
- Honu’apo -- A Coastal Sanctuary for Hawai`i's People Hawaii County Weekly newsletter, January 24, 2006.
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