Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 1, 1 January 2018 — COMMUNITY CONSULTATION FOR WAO KELE O PUNA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION FOR WAO KELE O PUNA

For Lisa Hall-Peleiholani, Wao Kele o Puna (WKOP) isn't just any pieee of lanel. "This forest was used for four generations of our family, us included," she said. "For gathering, for hunting... for many, rmany years." When OFIA acquired title to Wao Kele o Puna in 2006, it was helping to f u lfi 1 1 its mission by contributing to the maintenance and care of Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources, and protecting the traditional and customary rights of OHA's beneficiaries. Wao Kele o Puna is a culturally and historically significant sacred area, encompassing 25,856 acres of low-land rainforest in east Hawai'i, and is OHA's largest landholding. Community consultation began in 2014, when an ethnographic study was conducted to help document the unique history and traditions of WKOP. Since that time, OHA has formed an 'Aha Kūkā Advisory Oouneil, a diverse group of subject matter experts, community leaders, and cultural practitioners, including Lisa Hall-Peleiholani, Faye Hanohano, Luana Jones, Jennifer Johansen, Drew Kapp, Leila Kealoha, Renē Siracusa,

Charles Heaukulani, and Terri Napeahi of the Pele Defense Fund. Other key participants include Palikapu Dedmen, Emily Nae'ole, and Dana Keawe. The top community recommendation was the proper preservation and safekeeping of the forest to ensure it ean be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations. Community-based, culturally appropriate management practices were also highly recommended. At the close of FY2017, OHA was nearing completion of a final Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). "I really want to thank OHA for understanding the people of the Big lsland, for reaching out, for seeing the bigger picture of what this plaee ean offer," she said. The CMP sets OHA's management direction for the property and will lead to the development of action plan(s) that will enable its implementation over time. The plan is envisioned to provide a culturally competent stewardship framework to protect, preserve, enhanee and perpetuate the cultural and natural resources of Wao Kele o Puna for current and future generations.