Tell Mayor Mitch Roth to protect cultural sites at Kumukahi
The Issue
No opening of Lighthouse Rd without a Comprehensive Preservation Plan
Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road is the gateway to Ka Lae o Kumukahi (meaning “original source”), one of the most celebrated wahi pana (sacred and storied places) in all of Hawaii and significant to many people in the Hawaiian community. Kumukahi extends from near “Four Corners” all the way to Hawai`i’s easternmost point.
Recognized lineal descendants are negotiating with UH and DLNR on a Comprehensive Preservation Plan, still underway, to make sure appropriate management measures are in place.
Currently, the end of Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road is a public safety risk, with rough and uneven lava rocks, broken glass, a vandalized and abandoned lighthouse, and no signage warning people of the strong ocean currents.
Since the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the entire area has become a sanctuary for up to 12 endangered species, including new habitat for the green sea turtles. If the road is opened, the potential of heavy tourist/local traffic and unrestricted motorized off-road vehicle use will descend on this sacred and fragile place. There has been irreversible desecration in the past and without implementation of a plan, adverse effects are inevitable.
The County says they are simply restoring the road to the way it was before, but whoever opens the door bears some responsibility for who goes through it. It would be negligent of the County to open Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road without a plan.
Our goal is to have a signed order from Mayor Roth, that Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road will NOT BE REOPENED to the public until a Comprehensive Preservation Plan is finalized and implemented.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
County of Hawai`i Kilauea Eruption Recovery website declaration of intent for Kumukahi.
Lopes, R. Keawe Jr., “Hiki Mai E Ka La Ma Ka Hikina: The Sun Arrives In The East”, Hawaiian Journal of History, Volume 48, 2014.
Maly, Kepā and Maly, Onaona, “HE KAULANA KA ‘ NA O PUNA NO KA PUKA MAI O KA L A KUMUKAHI…” (THE LAND OF PUNA IS FAMOUS FOR THE SUN’S FIRST APPEARANCE AT KUMUKAHI): A RESOURCE GUIDE OF TRADITIONS AND HISTORY OF KUMUKAHI, THE AHUPUA‘A OF KULA AND DISTRICT OF PUNA”, Kumu Pono Associates LLC, November 6, 2021.
Full draft Environmental Assessment on Hwy 137/Pohoiki Rd plan.
The doctrine of "significance" regarding environmental impacts in Environmental Assessments. Scroll to the end to find "the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Historic Hawaii Section 106 Consultation Process in Hawaii.
396
The Issue
No opening of Lighthouse Rd without a Comprehensive Preservation Plan
Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road is the gateway to Ka Lae o Kumukahi (meaning “original source”), one of the most celebrated wahi pana (sacred and storied places) in all of Hawaii and significant to many people in the Hawaiian community. Kumukahi extends from near “Four Corners” all the way to Hawai`i’s easternmost point.
Recognized lineal descendants are negotiating with UH and DLNR on a Comprehensive Preservation Plan, still underway, to make sure appropriate management measures are in place.
Currently, the end of Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road is a public safety risk, with rough and uneven lava rocks, broken glass, a vandalized and abandoned lighthouse, and no signage warning people of the strong ocean currents.
Since the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the entire area has become a sanctuary for up to 12 endangered species, including new habitat for the green sea turtles. If the road is opened, the potential of heavy tourist/local traffic and unrestricted motorized off-road vehicle use will descend on this sacred and fragile place. There has been irreversible desecration in the past and without implementation of a plan, adverse effects are inevitable.
The County says they are simply restoring the road to the way it was before, but whoever opens the door bears some responsibility for who goes through it. It would be negligent of the County to open Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road without a plan.
Our goal is to have a signed order from Mayor Roth, that Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road will NOT BE REOPENED to the public until a Comprehensive Preservation Plan is finalized and implemented.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
County of Hawai`i Kilauea Eruption Recovery website declaration of intent for Kumukahi.
Lopes, R. Keawe Jr., “Hiki Mai E Ka La Ma Ka Hikina: The Sun Arrives In The East”, Hawaiian Journal of History, Volume 48, 2014.
Maly, Kepā and Maly, Onaona, “HE KAULANA KA ‘ NA O PUNA NO KA PUKA MAI O KA L A KUMUKAHI…” (THE LAND OF PUNA IS FAMOUS FOR THE SUN’S FIRST APPEARANCE AT KUMUKAHI): A RESOURCE GUIDE OF TRADITIONS AND HISTORY OF KUMUKAHI, THE AHUPUA‘A OF KULA AND DISTRICT OF PUNA”, Kumu Pono Associates LLC, November 6, 2021.
Full draft Environmental Assessment on Hwy 137/Pohoiki Rd plan.
The doctrine of "significance" regarding environmental impacts in Environmental Assessments. Scroll to the end to find "the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Historic Hawaii Section 106 Consultation Process in Hawaii.
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Petition created on August 24, 2023