THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

16

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

supporting the acquisition BY THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE of Kahuku Ranch for expansion of THE HAWAII Volcanoes national park and of ki`ilae village for expansion of pu`uhonua o honaunau national historical park.

 

WHEREAS, the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island consists of 217,000 acres and is one of only two national parks in this State; and

WHEREAS, the Volcanoes National Park attracts about 1,500,000 visitors each year who enjoy the natural beauty of the lava fields, native forests, and ocean cliffs; and

WHEREAS, a large parcel of land lying to the south and west of the Volcanoes National Park known as Kahuku Ranch consisting of 117,000 acres has come up for sale; and

WHEREAS, the Kahuku Ranch parcel contains outstanding geological, biological, cultural, scenic, and recreational value, and is the sole habitat for at least four threatened and endangered bird species endemic to Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service since 1945 has recognized that the property contained nationally significant resources and in fact, in its 1975 Master Plan, the National Park Service identified the property as a "potential addition to improve the geological, ecological, and scenic integrity of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park"; and

WHEREAS, the 181-acre Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park was established in 1961 to save a sacred place of refuge that for centuries offered sanctuary to any who reached its walls; and

WHEREAS, adjacent to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau are the remains of Ki`ilae, an ancient Hawaiian settlement dating back to the late 12th or early 13th centuries, and which remained active until about 1930, making it one of the last traditional Hawaiian villages to be abandoned; and

WHEREAS, significant portions of this ancient Hawaiian village remain outside of national park boundaries; and

WHEREAS, including these lands within the boundaries of Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park has been a goal of park management for more than three decades; and

WHEREAS, the park's 1972 Master Plan identified Ki`ilae Village as a proposed boundary extension and in 1992, a Boundary Expansion Study completed for the park called for adding the "balance of Ki`ilae Village"; and

WHEREAS, within the Ki`ilae lands the National Park Service is seeking to acquire, more than 800 archeological sites, structures, and features have been identified, including at least twenty-five caves and ten heaiu, more than twenty platforms, twenty-six enclosures, over forty burial features, residential compounds, a holua slide, canoe landing sites, a water well, numerous walls, and a wide range of agricultural features; and

WHEREAS, in June 2001, Senator Inouye and Senator Akaka introduced a bill to authorize the addition of the Ki`ilae Village lands to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park and in October 2001, this bill passed the United States Senate and it is anticipated that the authorization bill will pass the House of Representatives as well; and

WHEREAS, these acquisitions offer an opportunity rarely imagined because they would give the National Park Service an excellent chance to expand and protect native plants and archaeological sites from destruction; and

WHEREAS, these opportunities can benefit current and future generations of residents and tourists, because expansion of Volcanoes National Park and Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park will preserve more open space, add to the natural environment, protect affected native species, and preserve cultural and historical sites; and

WHEREAS, in January 2001, the National Park Service held a series of public meetings to receive comments from the public regarding possible purchase of Kahuku Ranch and Ki`ilae Village, and the nearly 400 people in attendance at the meetings expressed overwhelming support and endorsement; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, that this body supports the acquisition by the United States National Park Service of Kahuku Ranch for expansion of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and of Ki`ilae Village for expansion of Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the National Park Service, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Supports expansion of two national parks on the Big Island.