Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 9, 1 September 2012 — OHA ACCEPTS LAND DONATION ON MAUI [ARTICLE]

OHA ACCEPTS LAND DONATION ON MAUI

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced that it will accept a 20-acre property donation that would be maintained as a cultural preserve between the towns of Kīhei and Mākena along the west coast of Maui. OHA's acceptance of the land donation from Palauea Developers LLC is hinged on certain conditions that would have to be met before Oct. 31, 2012, the deadline for completing the donation of the property that features an ancient fishing village and agricultural sites tied to Native Hawaiian culture. If the terms of the donation agreement for the Palauea Cultural Preserve are met, OHA intends to enter into a preservation management agreement with the University of Hawai'i Maui College, whieh would be expected to develop a cultural preservation plan for a site that has been lying in the path of rapid urban growth. The site is framed, in part, by multi-million dollar house lots, a golf club and a luxury oceanfront resort. "We believe that this transaction would make strategic sense for our beneficiaries, who continue to remind us of the importance of preserving land and Hawaiian culture," said OHA Chief Executive Officer Kamana'opono Crabbe. "The property offers invaluable insights on the traditional Hawaiian landscape, and we ean envision a bright future for this land as a cultural preserve." - Harold Nedd ■