OHA committee reviews phase‑1 due diligence on possible state land transfers including Kahana, Maunaʻala and Kauai heiau site

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Investments and Land Management on Jan. 8 received a high-level update on Phase‑1 due diligence into several parcels that state agencies have suggested OHA consider for transfer. The parcels under review include the Ahupuaʻa of Kahana Valley (Oʻahu), Maunaʻala (the royal burial site on Oʻahu), the Kaneʻōluʻuma Heiau complex on Kauaʻi and a 45.6‑acre agricultural parcel identified as Nation of Hawaiʻi in Waimānalo.

Why it matters: trustees and administrators framed potential transfers as opportunities to restore stewardship of lands described as culturally and historically significant to Native Hawaiians, and as assets connected to OHA’s statutory mission under the Hawaii Revised Statutes to "better the conditions of native Hawaiians." Administration said the work is due diligence only; no purchase or transfer has been finalized.

Scope and process explained: interim land assets director Lori Walker outlined the two‑phase due‑diligence approach. Phase 1 is a high‑level internal assessment that documents general property information, visible property condition indicators from site visits, a high‑level risk assessment, an initial statement of intent aligned with OHA’s strategic plan, and community outreach planning. Phase 2, Walker said, would be a more rigorous third‑party set of studies (for example, boundary surveys, Phase‑1 environmental site assessments, professional property condition reports and ethnohistorical studies) if trustees approve a deeper review.

Administration and trustees emphasized limits: Kapuohana Stacy Ferrero clarified to beneficiaries that "there is no action item" and that the packet presented was a status update. Walker said the parcels were proposed by state agencies (Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture) to OHA for consideration; they were not selected unilaterally by OHA staff.

Public testimony raised concerns about missing details and future use. Public commenter Jermaine/ Germaine Myers (transcript shows both spellings in different places) said the packet lacked full Phase‑1 components for particular properties and questioned how preservation zoning on much of Kahana — which totals roughly 5,300 acres with 44 parcels but only about 6.79 acres in residential parcels — would limit OHA’s options. He asked what rights OHA could exercise for parcels with preservation designations and whether transfers could be used to support activities such as hemp or marijuana production should laws change. "Again, my concern is what can you do with preservation?" he said.

Trustee and staff questions: trustees asked about cost estimates for assuming ownership. Walker said Phase‑1 contains a high‑level financial assessment and that Phase‑2 would produce a deeper cost estimate for long‑term stewardship, including maintenance, security, liability and capital improvements. She said some transfers were being discussed with the governor’s office and that at least one bill had been drafted by a state senator to request transfer of Maunaʻala to OHA.

Next steps and timing: administration told trustees it aims to present more detailed Phase‑1 packets and, if the committee directs, bring an action item to the full committee's Jan. 22 meeting to request approval to proceed to Phase‑2 due diligence on the largest properties (Kahana and Nation of Hawaiʻi). The administration said community engagement would be central to any Phase‑2 work, and that trustees would be presented with mitigation options for identified risks as Phase‑2 findings emerged.

Ending: trustees stressed that land transfers should not be treated as substitution for outstanding public land trust claims and that any prospective transfers must be examined for legal, financial and stewardship liabilities before being accepted. Administration reiterated that no negotiations or commitments have been made and that the Phase‑1 briefing was informational.