Kilauea developer and resident Louise Zweben has donated 5.43 acres of beach land and a housing site at Kahili Beach, also known as Rock Quarry Beach, in Kilauea, to the Kaua’i Public Land Trust. The land includes a sand-and-dirt road
Kilauea developer and resident Louise Zweben has donated 5.43 acres of beach land and a housing site at Kahili Beach, also known as Rock Quarry Beach, in Kilauea, to the Kaua’i Public Land Trust.
The land includes a sand-and-dirt road that leads directly to Kilauea River and the beach, as well as the woods surrounding it, and is valued at over $4 million, said Gary Blaich, KPLT president.
KPLT officials have been in negotiations for six months to receive the parcel, and the trust will be the interim owner until another entity, possibly the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, can hold the permanent title, Blaich said in a phone interview yesterday.
“We are pleased at the donation. It’s a great donation, extremely generous,” said Blaich.
He added that beach access along the road on the property, for the foreseeable future, will not change.
“We will take a gradual approach, as long as people treat the area with respect,” he said.
When asked in September why she would consider donating the land, Zweben said in an e-mail her priority is to “improve safety conditions for people using Kahili Beach, to prevent development in the area, and to preserve the land in perpetuity.”
“It is heartening to hear of Louise Zweben’s wonderful gift to the entire Kaua’i community, and I applaud her generosity and contribution to the preservation of this land,” said Kaua’i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste.
“I am hopeful that this donation will allow for perpetual access to Kahili Beach as we move forward in improving beach-access conditions across the island.”
Zweben closed off access to the property in late August because of concerns about trespassing, illegal camping, abandonment of vehicles and dumping. She was also concerned about liability issues related to using the road on that parcel. The property was re-opened after a few weeks.
Signs were put in place soon after the Kilauea Neighborhood Association board of directors voted on measures in September aimed at protecting the five-acre parcel and providing continued vehicular access.
The road has been used by residents for at least four decades, and the beach is a popular site for fishing, camping and surfing.
The donation also would help protect a heiau and grave sites believed to be among the dunes.
“Without the assistance of the KPLT,” said Zweben in a press statement released Monday, “it would have been nearly impossible for us to preserve this land. We applaud their mission, and are confident they will manage the use of the property in the best interests of the public and with the support of the local community.”
KPLT, a nonprofit charitable organization, is the oldest land trust in Hawai’i, originated in 1989. Its mission, Blaich said, is to protect lands on Kaua’i for the public in perpetuity.
As for the possible turnover of the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mike Hawkes, refuge manager for fish and wildlife refuges located in Hanalei, Kilauea and along the Hule’ia River, said the process is ongoing, and could take up to a year.
“It’s a pretty significant piece of land,” said Hawkes. “It would preserve a real nice piece of Hawai’i that shouldn’t be developed.”
The piece would fit in nicely with the 203-acre Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to the donated parcel, said Hawkes.
The proposed expansion of the refuge, being fought for by U.S. Rep. Ed Case D-rural O’ahu-Neighbor Islands, would further complement the refuge, Hawkes added.
“It is pretty valuable,” said Hawkes, with the area able to possibly support four endangered bird species, including the Koloa duck, which has been spotted on the river.
“We want to keep it where the public can go there,” said Hawkes.
The only thing standing in the way is bureaucracy.
With a piece under 40 acres, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife regional director can make the decision, Hawkes said, but an environmental assessment, contaminant survey, and other documents have to be prepared before the director can make that decision.
“It takes a while to grind it all out,” he said.
In the meantime, KPLT officials will hold the deed. One of the purposes for the trust, said Blaich, is to help avoid red tape.
“The land trust can act more quickly than government, and cut through the red tape,” said Blaich.
Staff Writer Tom Finnegan may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mailto:tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
