HONOLULU – A rare coastal dune ecosystem, pristine native forests, critical estuary habitat, and mixed forests connecting inland streams to the ocean will soon receive enhanced protection, thanks to state funding.
The Hawai’i Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has approved recommendations from the Legacy Land Conservation Commission and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) to award close to $7 million in state grants for conservation efforts that protect resources for public benefit. The grants, awarded for Fiscal Year 2025, will safeguard a diverse range of landscapes and cultural sites across the state.
The following properties will be conserved with the help of these grants:
- Ke Kīpuka o Kalaeuila (Oʻahu): Awarded to the North Shore Community Land Trust, this grant protects a culturally and ecologically significant 170-acre oceanfront property in Kahuku, home to one of Oʻahu’s last remaining native coastal dune ecosystems. Restoration efforts will focus on creating habitat for threatened and endangered species.
- Hīlea (Hawaiʻi Island): The Nature Conservancy will use this grant to conserve nearly 2,000 acres of open ranch lands and native forest in Kaʻū. The area encompasses the mountains Makanau and Pakua, as well as the Kohailalani heiau, which remains in use.
- Kawainui Makai (Hawaiʻi Island): The Makahanaloa Fishing Association will protect over 80 acres surrounding the Kawainui River in South Hilo. This area features waterfalls, estuary habitat for endangered species, historic rock structures, and mature mahogany and teak forestry.
- Kōkua Kealakekua (Hawaiʻi Island): Hoʻāla Kealakekua Nui, Inc. will acquire a strategic 1.26-acre property at the popular Kaʻawaloa trailhead (Captain Cook Monument Trail) in South Kona. This acquisition will enable the implementation of the Community Action Plan goals to manage the area and improve access to Kealakekua Bay.
- East Maui Coastal Forest (Maui): DOFAW will conserve over 540 acres of mixed native/non-native forest along the Hānā Highway on Maui’s northeast coast. This area provides critical nesting habitat for native seabirds, foraging and roosting habitat for the Hawaiian hoary bat, and vital connectivity between streams and the ocean.
The Land Conservation Fund, established by the state Legislature in 2005, provides dedicated funding for land conservation through proceeds from the real estate conveyance tax.
The grant application and approval process involves extensive consultation with state agencies (DLNR, Department of Agriculture, and Agribusiness Development Corporation), field visits, public meetings with the Legacy Land Conservation Commission, environmental review, and final approval by various entities, including the BLNR, the Department of Budget and Finance, and the Governor.
These grants are designed to preserve and protect land with significant natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, cultural, agricultural, or historic value, including the creation and maintenance of park and trail systems.