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Commission approves limited site visit to Heʻeia, community groups urge access to all stops
Summary
The commission voted to hold a limited (Sunshine Law) site visit to portions of the Heʻeia Ahupuaʻa on Nov. 10, 2025, citing safety and access limitations at several proposed sites. Community organizations — including Pae Pae O Heʻeia and the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve — asked the commission to allow representatives to accompany it
The Commission on Water Resource Management voted Oct. 28 to approve a limited on‑site inspection of portions of the Heʻeia Ahupuaʻa on Nov. 10, 2025, after staff said several of the proposed locations (wells, stream restoration sites, loʻi kalo and fishponds) are inaccessible to the general public or pose safety and ADA access challenges.
Staff presented a draft itinerary (Exhibit 1) and a map (Exhibit 2) and briefed commissioners on the site history, including the effects of a development tunnel built in the early 1940s that staff said altered groundwater storage and baseflow to Heʻeia Stream. The commission’s legal counsel advised commissioners on how a limited meeting must be noticed and conducted under HRS §92‑3.1; after a short executive‑session consultation with the deputy attorney general, the commission returned to open session and voted to approve the limited meeting, with a clarified finding and an amendment to staff language.
Community groups and legal advocates testified in favor of a site visit and asked that community representatives and, in some cases, the Board of Water Supply be allowed to accompany the commission. Hayley Boyle Broyles of Earthjustice said the groups that have done restoration work “strongly support the commission coming out to visit and hope that you folks will allow them to accompany you to all locations of the site visit.” Fred Rapoon of the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve and Kelly I. Hopibete of Pae Pae O Heʻeia likewise described restoration work Mauka‑to‑Makai and requested that community representatives be allowed to attend key stops.
What the approval covers: Staff said the limited meeting is to view wells, stream restoration sites, loʻi kalo, wetland restoration and loko iʻa (fishpond) areas. The commission must comply with OIP concurrence requirements and follow procedural rules for limited meetings; staff will publish final logistics and instructions for members of the public who may be invited by hosts.
Why the site visit matters: Heʻeia is a place where cultural practices, stream and estuary restoration and groundwater‑surface water interactions intersect. The visit is intended to provide commissioners with place‑based context before future regulatory or management decisions and to hear local knowledge from kuleana holders and restoration practitioners.
Next steps: Staff will secure OIP concurrence where required, finalize the itinerary and confirm who may safely accompany the commission at each stop, and post directions for any invited community participants.
