Open the gates to Maha‘ulepu
Open the gates to Maha‘ulepu
We have dearly missed accessing the coastline of Maha‘ulepu.
The coastal gate has been locked since December of 2019.
Many generations of families — kupuna to keiki — particularly of the Koloa community, go to the coast of Maha‘ulepu for subsistence fishing and gathering, for recreation, and simply to be renewed by this natural, beautiful space. We have been very patient, but the time has come for the gate to open.
Our primary concern is for our kupuna, families and fishermen. Most of the public can hike down the trail to enjoy the beach. What about our kupuna who can’t traverse down the narrow and uneven trail, or our families with young children and our fishermen carrying all of their gear?
We have recently tried to contact Grove Farm about the issue of reopening the gate, but we have yet to receive a response. We are simply asking Grove Farm to open the coastal gate that has been open to the public for many decades. We hope that soon the public can once again enjoy this beautiful open space.
If you miss being able to access the Maha‘ulepu coastline, please kindly let Grove Farm know by signing and commenting on our petition on change.org.
Kaylie Nakamura, Outreach coordinator, Malama Maha‘ulepu, Kilauea
