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OHA authorizes Phase 2 due diligence for Nation of Hawaiʻi parcels at Puʻuhonua O Waimanalo; supporters cite community programs
Summary
Trustees authorized Phase 2 due diligence for a proposed transfer of Nation of Hawaiʻi parcels at Puʻuhonua O Waimanalo, following testimony that described long-standing restoration work, food distribution programs and workforce training at the site.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Island, Land & Management Committee voted to undertake Phase 2 due diligence for a proposed transfer of Nation of Hawaiʻi parcels at Puʻuhonua O Waimanalo to OHA.
Supporters, including Bambi Kanehele and representatives of the Nation of Hawaiʻi, described 30 years of stewardship and community programs at the Puʻuhonua. Keone DeFranco of the Purple Maʻa Foundation said the site hosts community workdays, monthly free food distributions, a makeke for Native Hawaiian micro-enterprises, and workforce training programs; he called the Puʻuhonua “a living lab in Ahupuaʻa” and asked OHA to partner with the community.
Germaine Myers again asked for financial transparency — operating costs, CIP history and projections — and asked whether the governor’s office would provide funding for due diligence; administration said no direct funding was committed from the governor but that a budget realignment approved earlier in the day provided resources for initial due-diligence activities.
Administration staff explained parcel selection: DOA and DLNR had provided candidate lists; OHA prioritized Nation of Hawaiʻi and Kahana based on urgency and the communities’ stated needs. Staff said DOA’s statutory charge is agricultural production and enforcement and that remaining under DOA could put community occupants at risk of eviction; they described DOA staff as supportive of expediting transfers where appropriate. Phase 2 will require procurement of third-party contractors and community engagement and could take six months to a year depending on the pathway to conveyance. Trustees amended the motion to remove item number 3 (a duplicative appropriation) and then approved Phase 2 by roll call.
The authorization directs OHA administration to schedule community meetings, procure necessary assessments (surveys, financial and capital studies), and return findings and recommendations to trustees; it does not itself transfer title to OHA.
