Representatives of The Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawai‘i, The Nature Conservancy and Waipa Foundation Kaua‘i have formed a partnership to protect 3,000 acres of forest area in Lumaha‘i owned by The Kamehameha Schools. As part of the Lumaha‘i Conservation Project,
Representatives of The Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawai‘i, The Nature Conservancy and Waipa Foundation Kaua‘i have formed a partnership to protect 3,000 acres of forest area in Lumaha‘i owned by The Kamehameha Schools.
As part of the Lumaha‘i Conservation Project, the groups are seeking input from residents on the best methods that can be used to protect the land and resources.
Those methods include goat and pig control, fencing, weed control, “cultural protocol” and research, according to a group spokesman.
An informational meeting on the project has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hanalei School cafeteria.
Nearly 30 people attended a similar meeting held at the school last Tuesday, March 2.
It was not immediately known when work on the project would start officially, but informal work has taken place on the property for a year, according to Adam Asquith, one of the proponents of the project.
If the preservation effort is successful, the 3,000 acres located on the “back side” of Lumaha‘i Valley will remain pristine for many more years to come, project proponents said.
Kamehameha Schools owns the 3,000 acres, which are part of 12,000 acres the school owns in Lumaha‘i Valley. Kamehameha Schools also owns 1,500 acres in the neighboring Waipa area.
Protection of the 3,000 acres requires the understanding, support and assistance of the community, said project proponents.
The preservation effort also will involve scientists engaged in research, and hunters used to control the populations of pigs and goats. The area proposed to be protected is “a wonderful canopy of trees, an understudy of native plants,” said Kalani Fronda, assets manager for Kamehameha Schools.
But there also exists threats that could result in the diminishment of resources within the 3,000-acre parcel, Fronda said.
“We have issues with pigs and goats that can eat plants,” Fronda said. “It (the foraging) opens the opportunity for invasives (introduced plants that can take hold and decimate populations of less-competitive native plants).” The preservation effort will strengthen past efforts by leaders of Kamehameha Schools to protect the resources on the land in Lumaha‘i.
“We (Kamehameha Schools) as the landowner haven’t done much back there (the 3,000 acres located on the backside of Lumaha‘i Valley), and felt it was important to gather or involve those who do love the Lumaha‘i Valley and the resources,” Fronda said.
“We do love the beauty of Lumaha‘i and the bigger moku (forest or grove) of Halelea (also known as Hanalei district).” The proposed work is tied to “the bigger picture” of protecting and preserving land on Kaua‘i, Fronda said.
“We, as the institution, are to malama (to take care of) our lands, especially those areas that are in conservation on a statewide basis,” Fronda said. “That is why we are involved in many watershed projects.” Because some of the preservation work may occur on land that is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the proponents of the project may have to apply for a Conservation District Use Application permit, Fronda said.
Campsites will have to be set up for hunters and scientists within the 3,000-acre parcel, hence the approval of state officials (the Board of Land and Natural Resources) is needed. A partnership for the preservation project was formed so that the expertise of members of each participating organization could be tapped, Fronda said.
The Kaua‘i-based Waipa Foundation, for instance, has expertise in “cultural and community matters” that will generate community input that will help bring about a successful project, Fronda believes.
Members of that foundation have helped bring together Native Hawaiians and others to look at other ways to protect resources and land on Kaua‘i, Fronda said. For more information on the preservation project, please contact Fronda at 1-808-523-6244; Stacy Sproat of the Waipa Foundation at 639-1815; Allan Rietow of The Nature Conservancy at 639-7544; or Asquith at 635-8290.
