By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — A sprawling East Maui ranch that stretches from the top of Haleakala to the ocean near Kaupo has been put on the market by the Campbell Estate.
Nu‘u Ranch, a 4,340-acre property acquired by James Campbell more than 100 years ago, is being listed for $6.51 million. The remote property is leased to Kaupo Ranch for cattle ranching, and the sale must honor the lease, which expires Aug. 31, 2004.
The property is configured in the traditional Hawaiian ahupua‘a, with 2,500 feet of shoreline and lands that extend up to the 7,600-foot elevation at the high southern boundary of Haleakala National Park.
The coastline includes a portion of historic Nu‘u Beach and Landing, while the dry midlands comprise pastures studded with trees. The property has been used for ranching and hunting for more than 100 years, and is home to a number of archaeological sites. The area is located near Kaupo Gap, where hikers descend out of the national park.
The National Park Service last year came close to acquiring a couple of sizable adjacent properties owned by Kaupo Ranch. But negotiations for the 3,000-acre expansion of Haleakala National Park fell apart after 18 months of negotiations involving the Trust for Public Land. Kaupo Ranch was offering the land for about $3.5 million, and the two sides reportedly were $1 million apart when the deal fell through.
Officials with Haleakala National Park and the Trust for Public Land could not be reached yesterday about their interest in pursuing the Nu‘u Ranch property.
The Nu‘u land is being offered for sale for the first time in more than 50 years, according to the Campbell Estate, and is being listed by Michael Spalding Realty Inc. and Hugh Starr & Co. Inc., two Maui brokers specializing in land brokerage.
Almost half of the 4,340 acres are in the state Conservation District, while the other half are in the state Agricultural District. No Maui County water system is available. Water service comes from Kaupo Ranch.
Several years ago the Maui County Council considered creating a park at Nu‘u Bay and even visited the site. But council members rejected the idea after being told the location was impractical and too remote.
Former Mayor Linda Lingle’s Beach Access Advisory Committee looked at the possibility of acquiring Nu‘u Bay for park land in 1992 and in 1994 and came to the conclusion that it would be an operational stretch for the county. The property, on Maui’s remote southeast coast, is approximately 40 miles from Kahului.
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