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NPS Seeks Public Input On Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit

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By

Justin Housman

Published Date

November 11, 2024

Trailhead at Lower Kona Trail / NPS

 Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is inviting community input on its plan to manage over 132,000 acres in the Kahuku ahupuaʻa (traditional land division) in Kaʻū. 

The Kahuku Unit includes both Upper and Lower Kahuku, as well as the newly acquired Kahuku-Pōhue area. The Kahuku Unit was acquired as several parcels between 2003 and 2022. Together they cover a big range of ecosystems from sea level to over 12,000 feet in elevation. Usage of the Kahuku unit has tripled in terms of daily visitor numbers since 2016, and the area is home to sensitive native plants and animals, as well as irreplaceable culural resources. 

Therefore, the Park Service is considering options for managing the area while providing increased services for visitors. 

Some of the options include restoring old trails and building more new ones, an increase in education and interpretation resources, new campgrounds, additional beach day use areas, better signage, road improvements, and more cultural experiences for visitors. The park will also pilot opening up a limited area along the shoreline of Kahuku-Pōhue to pedestrian day-use under a managed backcountry permit system. 

Most of the plans are firmly in the consideration phase as of now. 

The public comment period for the Kahuku Unit Site Management Plan is open until December 6, 2024, at 8:59 p.m. HST, marking the start of community involvement in shaping this plan.

“We urge the Kaʻū community to join us in this planning process,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. “The site management plan presents ideas intended to balance the protection of cultural and natural resources with visitor access and recreation, and to nurture the connection generations of Kaʻū families have to these special places ma uka to ma kai.” 

Here’s how to get involved and learn more:

Public Meetings:

  • Thursday, November 14, 6–8 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Community Center, 95-5635 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd.
  • Saturday, November 16, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, Māmalahoa Highway (Hwy 11) mile marker 70.5.

Virtual Meeting:

  • Tuesday, December 3, 6–8 p.m. on Zoom: Join here

Review & Comment:

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Comments

Submitted by A. Johnson on November 11, 2024 - 5:00pm.

"We urge the Ka`u community to join us in this planning process,"

 

Why just the Ka`u community ?

 

No one person, city, or state should have exclusive input or favored input on the use of OUR NATIONAL parks.

What's this all about?


Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 11, 2024 - 5:04pm.

Anyone can comment AJ. Just click on the parkplanning link at the bottom.


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