COMMENTARY
Pupukea-Paumalu key to protecting North Shore
By Kanani Awai, Tom Lenchanko, Cathleen Mattoon, Joe Lazar and Juliana Simono
As the urban core of O'ahu continues to grow, the North Shore remains predominately rural and undeveloped, offering residents and visitors a refreshing escape from the pressures and congestion of the city.
The North Shore is becoming increasingly popular as people realize the quality of experience it provides. Local beaches are visited by more than 2 1/2 million people a year. Businesses benefit from repeat visitors and from O'ahu residents who come to enjoy the unique atmosphere. Increased interest in surfing has pumped resources and activity into the North Shore.
It is estimated that the Triple Crown of Surfing alone generates $7.3 million of expenditures and investment in the community. Parts of the scenic North Shore regularly serve as backdrops for movies and other forms of media that entice people to visit Hawai'i.
However, the North Shore's cultural, natural and community resources are at risk unless we work together to care for them. During the winter, Kamehameha Highway becomes a parking lot as visitors and residents flock to the North Shore to catch a glimpse of the spectacular waves. Once-empty beach parks often fill to capacity.
To properly steward the North Shore's quality of life and the local visitor economy requires both "smart growth" and public and private investments in the community's special resources. One special resource that merits this type of coordinated action is an undeveloped property in the two ahupua'a of Pupukea and Paumalu.
The North Shore Community Land Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization whose mission is to preserve land and open space through voluntary land conservation. The trust is coordinating the Friends of Pupukea-Paumalu project, which seeks the best possible stewardship of the cultural, natural and community resources of the 1,129-acre property on O'ahu's North Shore.
We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire and become stewards over these resources, because the Pupukea-Paumalu property is for sale. In the past, as many as 500 homes have been proposed for the property, and it is possible the land could be purchased by those who do not share the vision of resource stewardship.
Therefore, the trust is working full time to arrange a conservation purchase of the Pupukea-Paumalu property to ensure the greatest public benefit. The seller is aware that a conservation purchase is possible, but understandably interested in the best sale price.
The Pupukea-Paumalu property overlooks the world-famous surf breaks of Sunset Beach, Rocky Point, Pipeline and Log Cabins. It has resources such as native Hawaiian plants, cultural sites, state water reserves, hiking and educational opportunities and World War II historic sites.
Small portions of the mauka border of the property touch on Girl Scout Camp Paumalu, Boy Scout Camp Pupukea and the Pupukea-Paumalu Forest Reserve.
The property is a significant coastal land form highly visible from scenic roadways and surrounding beaches, and its massive 200-foot-high coastal bluff makes it an integral part of the North Shore experience. The property provides stunning views of big-wave riding, migrating endangered humpback whales and the Wai'anae mountain range, as well as spectacular sunsets.
North Shore Community Land Trust
The huge winter waves that break on the reefs and white-sand beaches are one of the natural wonders of the world. International surfing magazines regularly publish photos with surfers in the barrel of a crystal blue wave at Pipeline or Backdoors with the scenic property in the background.
From the air, largely pristine Pupukea-Paumalu rises above the beachfront community of Sunset Beach. A community group wants to purchase the site and preserve it for recreation and conservation uses.
It comes as no surprise, then, that a diverse group of businesses, local nonprofit agencies, community members and Hawaiian and environmental groups support the Friends of Pupukea-Paumalu project. Diverse interests such as the Boy Scouts, the Hawai'i Film Office, the Army and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority express support for the protection effort.
The Friends have won commitments and support from key government officials, and protection measures are being considered by the Legislature and Honolulu authorities.
Hawai'i's congressional delegation, led by the office of Sen. Daniel Inouye, is working to leverage federal money from sources such as the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program. This federal money requires matching contributions from local sources, highlighting the importance of legislative and Honolulu City Council actions. The government and the Friends see the wisdom in helping to enhance the North Shore's quality of life, heritage and local visitor economy.
The trust and the North Shore community envision Pupukea-Paumalu as a community agricultural and educational area with extensive agricultural and open-space activities such as forestry, native plant and cultural restoration projects, open-area recreation, hiking trails with world-class views, room to roam for neighboring Boy and Girl Scout camps, and community and family facilities next to Sunset Beach Elementary school.
A Community Management Plan in development projects that parts of the property would be owned by the state and the city, and managed by qualified nonprofit organizations. A close partnership with the nearby Waimea Valley Audubon Center is also possible. Activities will focus on education, health, agriculture and culture.
Such activities maintain the heritage and rural quality of life on the North Shore. Stewardship also guarantees that the ocean and waves will be clean and free from urban runoff and pollution.
The North Shore's health and economic progress depend on these types of investments in existing and future public resources as more people come to Hawai'i to live, work and play. Community efforts to purchase Pupukea-Paumalu for public uses will improve the well-being of our families, local businesses and visitors.
Realizing this, nearly a thousand people and organizations provided written testimony to the Legislature in support of Pupukea-Paumalu in recent weeks, including visitors from 15 states and six countries.
As bills related to the acquisition of Pupukea-Paumalu proceed through the Legislature (HB2759 HD1) and the Honolulu budget process, supporters sense the protection effort is reaching the critical mass needed to act for future generations.
Hawai'i's congressional delegation, led by Sen. Inouye, as well as state Senate President Bobby Bunda, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, key City Council members and state Rep. Michael Magaoay, are major supporters of the effort. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration also supports the intent of the protection effort.
The Pupukea-Paumalu project will be successful with your assistance. You can learn more at www.northshoreland.org.
Kanani Awai is a member of the Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club; Tom Lenchanko is a member of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Wahiawa; Cathleen Mattoon is a member of the Ko'olau Loa Hawaiian Civic Club; Joe Lazar is owner of Hale'iwa Joe's restaurant; and Juliana Simone is owner of Sunset Homes Realty.
