Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 10, 1 October 1986 — Trustees Move to Support Kaalawai Land [ARTICLE]

Trustees Move to Support Kaalawai Land

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees want the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to reject the sale or lease of a controversial strip of beachfront land at Diamond Head. Further, the Board has asked DLNR to remove all structures whieh have been built on the land by private landowners.

The Save-Our-Beach Association maintains that several residents of beachfront property at Kaalawai Beach have illegally encroached on public land. At its August meeting in Hilo, OH A T rustees voted to support the Association's stand to reclaim the land for public use. The disputed property is classified as ceded land. Hawaii law allocates to OHA 20 percent of the ineome from revenue-producing ceded land. In a September 1 1 letter to Land Board Chairman Su-

sumo Ono, OHA Chairman Rockne Freitas wrote: "In an effort to advocate for the preservation of beach access on behalf of all native Hawaiians and the general public, we strongly recommend that the Board of Land and Natural Resources considers setting aside this beach area after all encroachments are removed, for beach park purposes. We strongly object to the sale of these lands".

Freitas further wrote: "The Hawaii Supreme Court's decision, In (1968) Re Application of Kelly, Hawaii 567 indicated that a significant number of private landowners in the Diamond Head-Kaalawai Beach area have engaged in illegal activities at the expense of thegeneral public and native Hawaiians. The Board opposes the sale or lease of any portion of

the public property to private landowners or developers. Moreover, the Board requests that the DLNR and/or the State Attorney General's office take immediate action to secure the removal of all structures presently encroaching upon the public property, to ensure present and future use and enjoyment of the property by the general public.

In order to fully understand the situation we would like to request a status report detailing any actions initiated by your office to remedy the illegal activities indentified in the Supreme Court's decision."