Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2008 — The Molokaʻi Land Trust [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Molokaʻi Land Trust

Cūlette Y. Machadū TrustEE, Mūlūka'i aud Lāna'i

From a coimnunity vision in 1998, a group of volunteers planned and built a grassroots nonprofit organization in 2006 - The Moloka'i Land Trust. Land trusts are a collaborative effort between the coimnunity, private funders, government and volunteers. Conservation land trusts such as the Moloka'i Land Trust (MLT) take significant environmental and cultural lands off the real estate market to preserve cultural and natural resources and provide access to the coimnunity. The mission of MLT is to protect and restore land, natural and cultural resources of Moloka'i and to perpetuate the unique Native Hawaiian traditions of the island for the benefit of future generations of all Moloka'i, particularly Native Hawaiians. "The protection of this land is not just for us, it is for the future generations to experience," says board member Davianna McGregor. The Moloka'i Land Trust works to conserve and protect these significant lands on behalf of Moloka'i residents. The Moloka'i Land Trust board and committees are composed of volunteer Moloka'i residents with cultural and subsistence perspectives, land management experience, and just plain hard workers who donate hundreds of hours to preserve and protect a part of Moloka'i. MLT's all-volunteer nonprofit organization is entering a new phase as they are on the brink of receiving the ownership title to two land parcels. A 1,600acre area called Mokio and a 196-acre property called Kawaikapu. The Mokio acquisition includes some of the most pristine and environmentally sensitive land on Moloka'i's north shore and includes 5 miles of spectacular, rugged and remote coastal strand ecosystem, coastal cliffs,

and tidal pools making it one of the priority sites for inclusion in the land trust. The donated Mokio parcel is a significant subsistence-gathering site with an tidal pool system as well as numerous koa or fishing shrines intact with offerings. An important, large ancient adze quarry and habitat complex exists at Pu'u Ka'eo. The ecosystem includes many bird nesting locations and nearly an acre of 'ihi'ihi lauākea, estimated to be the largest growth site of this rare endangered endemic Hawaiian plant in the islands. "To Moloka'i, and the State of Hawai'i, the cultural, environmental and culture-based agricultural value of the Kawaikapu watershed is astronomical," says board member Billy Akutagawa. The Kawaikapu parcel is located on the southeast side of Moloka'i and encompasses an endangered watershed. The Kawaikapu property runs from the mountain headwaters at the 2,100-foot elevation along the entire length of the stream for 6.5 miles down to sea level. MLT raised $1.2 million from the Legacy Lands Coimnission and Maui County Open Spaces Fund to purchase the privately owned east end property. To manage the new acquisitions, MLT has hired two staff members to oversee land transfers, execute due diligence and manage administrative tasks. "Now that MLT has a binding agreement with Moloka'i Properties Ltd. to gift the 1,600 acres of north shore property and are eompleting the due diligence process for the land, we needed full-time staff to begin to manage and protect the land in perpetuity so we hired two staff members last month," adds Akutagawa. The newly hired staff ean develop and implement the process to allow access, and develop monitoring plans for the cultural and natural resources. Conservation land trusts are a win-win solution for the coimnunity, future generations and the 'āina. Successful protection of the two parcels would ensure the preservation of the entire watershed into perpetuity. The Trust will create and steward a land legacy to help keep Moloka'i, Moloka'i - today and for generations to eome. E3