Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 10, 1 October 1991 — Poor land management threatens pristine Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Poor land management threatens pristine Hawaiʻi

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

The issue of land , management borders I on negligence here in I Hawai'i, whieh has j some of the most beau- I tiful land anywhere in I the world. It is through vigilanee and broad eom- j munity support that we

tne people, at times, nave been able to turn around some bad land-use decisions made by government, whieh is ultimately responsible. It's the governor who appoints the members of the Department of Land and Natural Resources as well as the Land Use Commission. The several county mayors appoint planning commissioners and department heads. The Department of Land and Natural Resources fell asleep at the switch by allowing single-family homes to be built on the slopes of Mount Olomana and above Lanikai at Kaiwa Ridge on the Windward side of O'ahu. Community furor was raised about possible development and visual blight caused by a home being built on these special ridges. Because people from the surrounding areas — Save Olomana Association, Hawaii's Thousand Friends, and others — concerned about Lanikai fought the desecration of these unique ridges, Department of Land and Natural Resources now proposes the state purchase these areas in order to preserve them. Citizens' action forces governmental bodies to respond.

Although I'm pleased these areas are to be preserved, why must we taxpayers spend millions of dollars, time and energy to undo the state's blunders: poor land management, vision and foresight, laek of rules, and poor stewardship of our 'aina. These land use bodies rarely vote against a development. For example, the Land Use Commission earlier this summer voted in favor of the Hawaiian Riviera Resort whose manna would kill the Miloli'i Hawaiian fishing village. Incidentally, the chair of the Land Use Commission had been told that the Miloli'i fishermen had been offered $500,000. The Department of Land and Natural Resources has mueh of the time rubber-stamped developers. They allowed the permits for our ancestors' iwi to be dug up at Honokahua on Maui where over 1,000 of our ancestors were buried under what was proposed to be a hotel lobby. Here, the people's outrage won the day. The past Hawaiian Assistant Director of Department of Land and Natural Resources, Libert Landgraf, now works for the Japanese developers of Ke Ola Hana Maui (I mentioned this last month) and was caught by Hana kupuna with our ancestor's bones in his car. Other examples: the past head of the Hawai'i County Planning Department now works for sugarman David Morgan to develop the land above sacred Waipio Valley, whieh will forever alter, pollute, and destroy Waipio, home of our ancient kings. When he worked as head of the Hawai'i County Planning Department, he helped draw up the development scheme whieh will put

golf courses, resort and housing almost to the rim of Waipio Valley. Note also that the past Assistant Planning Director of Hawai'i County is now vice-president for Nansay, Japanese developers that plan a proliferation of golf courses on the Kona Coast as well as a resort complex and boat marina at Kohanaiki (also knwon as Pine Trees) right next to Kaloko-Honokohau Nahonal Park — again sacred grounds where many say Kamehameha I is buried. It is ironic and sinful that the bodies responsible for the stewardship of these special lands allow zoning changes to occur that pave the way in their part of the process for approval of certain developments. Some of these individuals then move on to the private sector into lucrative positions as agents working for these same developers of the same projects in order to facilitate their passage. We the people end up being the patsy's. The land is sold out and loeal residents are taxed out of their home. Homelessness and even criminality frequently ensue for the children. It is the responsibility of the Land Use Commission, Department of Land and Natural Resources County Planning Commissions and departments to have sound land management practices for they are supposed to be "our protectors of the 'aina." A July 8, Honolulu Advertiser editorial on Olomana entitled, "More Protective Laws Needed," pointed out that those who want to keep home construction off 01omana's ridge were angry at Gov. John Waihe'e for vetoing a bill (introduced by state Rep. Cynthia Thielen (RDistrict 19) that would do just that. That editorj^l stressed that "current State law as administered by Department of Land and Natural Resources doesn't allow for ironclad protection of areas that deserve it. "The legislature must take a strong hand. Conservation district laws need to be toughened to assure real protection for scenic views, shrinking natural areas and mountain and beach access." Another Honolulu Advertiser editorial on Feb. 11 points out that Department of Land and Natural Resources rules "don't conserve enough!" We need Aloha 'Aina laws in this state. We in this state should be able to conserve unique areas through laws without having to pay millions in tax dollars for inflated land prices. A zoning change of raw land ean lead to an increase

in value of $15 million and more as was done along the Kona Coast. The state legislature thinks nothing of giving $6 million to the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau for advertising to "sell Hawai'i," but few bother to protect those areas special and unique to Hawai'i, whieh is what Rep. "Hiielen attempts to do. Sometimes it is clear that this state has lousy priorities in land use, while they kill the goose that lays the golden egg, our precious 'aina. These public officials think they have it sewed up. They don't want us to have initiative on land use issues, because they say the elected process works. That is shibai! I've already shown you how those who are charged with protecting the 'aina slide over and start working for the developers.

And now we're told that land use corrections through the people's democratic right to initiative is a no-no! The governor is also against initiative. Attorney General Warren Price attended a OHA Entitlement Committee meeting not long ago. Among other things, he told the trustees that if we support the Napeahi vs. Paty suit and the state loses, we could throw land use in Hawai'i open to the courts. It is obvious to me that there is a conspiracy going on against the people and the conspirators fear the responsible democratic rights of the people. They don't want us to sue for land use; they don't want us to have land use initiative, either. They want to eonhnue busineSs as usual, whieh is quite lucrative for them and quite burdensome for us and our children. It is imperative that your elected and appointed officials gain from somewhere the integrity necessary to make decisions in accordance with what the people want. We the public must let government know our desires. Special eeonomie interests try to sew up the process in an undemocratic way. This is the nature of the free market economy, even more vicious today due to its multi-national composition, loyal only to its own financial interests, and very successful in devouring our 'aina. Malamo Pono. Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka 'Aina I Ka Pono.

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(This eolumn is open to all OHA Trustees as a vehicle for them to express their mana'o. Opinions expressed are those of the individual Trustees and do not necessarily represent the official position of the OHA Board of Trustees.) _ _

"We in this state should be able to conserve unique areas through laws."

"We the public must let government know our desires."