Public land trust receives Wainiha parcel

WAINIHA — The deed for a 17,000-square-foot parcel of land in Wainiha was handed over to the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust last month by the Canela Group in honor of Mary McGregor Ballard.

The parcel, a popular fishing spot, is located just west of Wainiha Bay.

“The Canela Group’s generous donation will ensure that another part of this beautiful island will remain undeveloped and available for public access and use in perpetuity,” Jennifer Luck, executive director of the land trust, said yesterday. “The Canela Group is a committed group of individuals who understand the necessity and importance of conserving open space on Kaua‘i.”

Canela Group members are partial owners of the Wainiha parcel. Because they wanted to remain anonymous, they came together under one name.

The group said it decided to donate the land because of the trust’s reputation for conservation and history of successfully acquiring and preserving land on Kaua‘i.

With the gift, the group hopes the area surrounding Wainiha Bay will look as it does today generations from now.

Luck said the land trust will eventually put in some parallel parking stalls to make beach access more convenient. But there are no any plans to build facilities, such as restrooms.

Though the trust will maintain the parcel for now, Luck said that in time the land will be transferred to the county, the state or a state-owned entity.

The acquisition marks the fourth successfully completed transaction by the Kaua‘i Public Land Trust. The four parcels total 27 acres appraised at $8.3 million.

“Currently we are raising funds for $3.4 million, 20-acre parcel in Kilauea that would be added to the Kilauea Coastal Preserve,” Luck said.

The trust is also working toward acquisitions on the North Shore, Kapa‘a and the South Shore.

For more information, visit www.kauaipubliclandtrust.org or call 346-9419.

• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.