Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 8, 1 August 2017 — OHA SEEKS COMMUNITY INPUT FOR ITS WAHIAWĀ LANDS MASTER PLAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA SEEKS COMMUNITY INPUT FOR ITS WAHIAWĀ LANDS MASTER PLAN

By Sterling Wong More than 40 individuals last month shared their mana'o about how the Office of Hawaiian Affairs should move forward with managing its 5 1 1 acres of agricultural land in Wahiawā, whieh surrounds the culturally significant Kūkaniloko Birthing Stones. The meeting, held July 13 at Wahiawā District Park, is part of an ongoing effort to gather puhlie input on the development of OHA's master plan for its Wahiawā lands. The puhlie ean eonhnue to participate in this process by visiting www. oha.org to learn more and submitting comments to info@oha.org. In 2012, OHA acquired its Wahiawā lands as part of the larger

effort of several non-profit and puhlie entities to purchase 1,700 acres from the Galbraith Estate for agricultural and cultural preservation purposes. OHA contributed $3 million to acquire the 5 1 1 acres to: • Protect the Kūkaniloko Birthing Stones by providing a buffer against future incompatible development in the area; • Explore the development of eompatible agricultural uses and other programmatic initiatives; and • Contribute to Hawai'i's food self-sufficiency, preservation of open space and watershed lands and overall community planning goals for central O'ahu. Kūkaniloko is a historical and sacred site located in the piko (center) of O'ahu, a plaee where the highest chiefs were born and where

birthing rituals were performed. In November 2016, OHA began its master planning process for these lands. OHA's objective for its master plan is to develop a planning document that incorporates three land use typologies. These include: Protection (Palena 'Āina); Education (Ho'omālamalama); and Agriculture (Ho'oulu 'Āina). As part of this process, OHA is currently conducting a number of community outreach efforts, including the formation of a Kūkaniloko Master Planning Working Group and engaging a number of civic organizations. OHA plans to hold another puhlie meeting in early 2018 to provide an update on its planning process. A last puhlie meeting will be held in mid-2018 to present a draft master plan to the community. ■

y AINA > LAND AND WATER

0HA's Wahiawā property surrounds the Kūkaniloko Birthing Stones. - Photos: Kaipo Kī'aha