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OHA legacy‑lands program outlines grant‑funded work at Kukani Loko, Waikeleopuna and other sites
Summary
Land Assets staff described grant awards and planned projects for legacy properties — including a Department of Defense REPI award and a USDA Forest Service grant — and outlined stewardship, reforestation and fencing work at multiple island sites.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs land assets staff detailed legacy‑lands projects and recent federal awards during a May 21 trustee briefing, describing site‑level projects at Kukani Loko, Waikeleopuna, Pāhuaheiau and other legacy properties.
Keone, who manages grant applications for the division, summarized the division’s recent federal funding: “Currently awarded for REPI is 2,240,000.00 [and] currently awarded for USDA is 500,000,” he told trustees. He said the REPI award (Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program) included an initial installment and that USDA funding was under a short administrative review but “they’re still moving through that process.”
Walker and legacy land agents described planned work at specific sites. At Kukani Loko trustees were told the budget includes funds for a comprehensive management‑plan update and an agricultural feasibility study to move conceptual master‑plan elements into on‑the‑ground activities. The division said a REPI award will fund vegetation‑continuum work for Kukani Loko, including reforestation plots, seed orchards, cultural‑practitioner forests and agricultural activity tied to cultural uses.
At Waikeleopuna on Hawaiʻi Island trustees were told earlier acquisition funds have been drawn down and that the division has a stewardship contract in place to manage invasive‑species control, reforestation and community engagement. Walker said community engagement and on‑site infrastructure work are underway and that part of a USDA award will be used for fencing to protect sensitive vegetation.
Other legacy projects discussed included property condition assessments and repair budgets for sites such as Pāhuaheiau (Mauna Loa) and the Waialua Courthouse building, and a replacement of a cesspool at the Hoʻomana site that requires design because of its sea‑level location. Staff said many legacy‑land activities are funded by a mix of property‑specific royalties, one‑time donations and grants; where that funding is not secured the board would need to decide whether OHA core funds should be used.
Trustees asked how dependent the work is on federal grants and were told the division can slow or not move forward with some projects if grant funding is withdrawn. Keone noted that, while some awards can be paused or reviewed, the division is adopting a more conservative approach to spending and invoicing to avoid advancing costs that cannot be reimbursed.
Staff said they will provide additional line‑item detail on grant amounts and timing and will return with clarifications requested by trustees.
