Aloha kākou,

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) will once again consider approving a Stream Channel Alteration Permit (SCAP.6438.3) for a new concrete culvert across ʻŌʻio Stream within the Turtle Bay Resort property.

This is not the first time this proposal has come before the Commission.
It has already been DEFERRED TWICE because the applicant failed to meet basic legal, scientific, and cultural requirements.

Despite those deferrals, the applicant is back, without fixing the core problems.

Why this matters
At prior meetings, Commissioners themselves raised serious concerns, including:

• The absence of a completed Ka Paʻakai Framework Analysis
• Reliance on outdated studies from 2012–2013 that do not reflect current cultural practices, hydrology, or climate risk
• Lack of meaningful consultation with Native Hawaiian practitioners
• Inadequate flood and sea level rise modeling, ignoring groundwater flooding and current State-required guidance
• No disclosure of the larger development this culvert is intended to serve
• A culvert is not a minor or standalone structure. It is permanent infrastructure that enables future roadways and development. Approving it without full disclosure and updated analysis would undermine the Public Trust Doctrine and Native Hawaiian rights protected under Article XII, Section 7 of the Hawaiʻi Constitution.

Your testimony matters
At the November 18, 2025 meeting, Commissioners explicitly acknowledged that public testimony influenced their decision to defer. Community voices made a real difference, and they are needed again.

🛑 CWRM can deny this permit — but only if the public shows up.
Commissioners have already said community testimony made the difference in prior deferrals.

✍🏽 SUBMIT TESTIMONY TO DENY
• Use our easy Google Form by end of day Jan. 17 (to submit by Jan. 18)
• Submitting on your own? Please submit by 9am Jan. 19

🔗 Testimony Form: https://forms.gle/uEjKvyE2sDWjKSZBA
🔗 Agenda: https://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/cwrm/agenda/2026/ag20260120.pdf

ʻŌʻio Stream is a living cultural and ecological resource. The decisions made now will shape the health of the stream, shoreline, and community for generations. We urge CWRM to deny this application. Or at least, deny it until all legal, scientific, and cultural requirements are fully met.

Mahalo nui for standing up for ʻāina, wai, and community.

In solidarity,
Kūpaʻa Kuilima