|
VICTORY ON THE NORTH SHORE!
Pupukea-Paumalu Parcel nears Acquisition
The winds of good fortune are blowing sweetly across a cautious but appreciative North Shore community this week, as an intense 20 year long political/environmental tug of war over priceless lands overlooking Oahu's North Shore has swung in favor of them.
Bolstered by new support from the surfing industry and local officials, the community effort to protect Pupukea Paumalu is close to the finish line. As of January 1, 2006, the "Campaign for Pupukea Paumalu" is within $200,000 of its goal of $1M in private donations and Pupukea Paumalu is on track to be permanently protected by summer 2006.
The 1,129 acre property overlooks the world's most famous stretch of surfing beaches including Pipeline, Rocky Point, and Sunset Beach. The 400-foot high bluff stretches a linear mile along the coast and extends nearly a mile up into the Pupukea Paumalu Forest Reserve. Pupukea Paumalu is widely recognized as the defining feature of the North Shore experience for both residents and millions of annual visitors. They are easily recognizable in the background of shoreward pointing water shots of Pipe, Off The Wall, and other nearby surf spots.
The property is in the two ahupua'a (land division from mountain to sea) of Pupukea and Paumalu. From ancient times, Pupukea has traditionally been among the sacred lands cared for and used by the Kahuna, or priests of Hawaii. It remained in an unthreatened and pristine state until, in 1974, a Japanese company called Obayashi Corporation acquired the parcel from entrepreneur/majority landowner Hiram Fong for $7M, with the long term intent of developing luxury residential subdivisions.
"Obayashi's interest in the property was strictly to develop fee properties on it and turn it over for profit," said North Shore patriarch Peter Cole. Cole has been on the frontlines of the battle with Obayashi since the mid-80s, when, as a board member of the North Shore Community Association, he helped charter the "Save Sunset Beach" coalition. This effort was created in direct response to Obayashi's then proposed Lihi Lani project. It was packaged to come with a multitude of amenities, including a YMCA site, hiking trails, stables and campgrounds. Through legal actions, the grassroots coalition was able to mire development in mediation and appropriation proceedings. Obayashi, having tired of the legal roadblocks and intense community opposition to Lihi Lani, withdrew their pursuit of the project and put the land up for sale in 2002.
At $12M, the pricetag was steep, and presented a monumental challenge for the community coalition. "We have worked closely with local conservation groups and other private parties to assist in the fundraising to purchase the land." said Cole, who also serves as chairman for the Oahu chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Along with Cole, other community members, multiple levels of government and supporters from around the world are working collaboratively to conserve Pupukea Paumalu and implement community stewardship of its unique resources.
Other notable assets nearby include Puu o Mahuka Heiau (the largest heiau, or place of worship, on Oahu), the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Waimea Valley Audubon Center, and the Pupukea-Waimea Marine Life Conservation District. The parcel is also flanked by military training facilities and youth scout camps.
The Campaign for Pupukea Paumalu Benefit Luau hosted by the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) on December 3, 2005 at Waimea Valley Audubon Center drew surfers, celebrities, and community members in a successful effort that raised over $250,000. To date, over $7M has been raised from government sources and the Campaign's goal is to reach $1M in private fundraising in order to attain the objective of $8M in total funding for the permanent protection of the property. The Benefit Luau was supported by Honorary Co-Chairs Jack Johnson, Rochelle Ballard, Kelly Slater, Mark Cunningham, and Pancho Sullivan as well as a stalwart group of long-time North Shore residents including childhood friends of Jack and Pancho. Highlights of the evening included live performances by Kawika Kahiapo, John Cruz, and Jack as well as the presence of Yvon and Malinda Chouinard, Masuo Ueda of Surfrider Foundation Japan, and former world champions Shaun Tomson and Rabbit Bartholomew. Live auction items included a one-man canoe by Kaku Designs, original artwork by Bill Braden, and Shaun Tomson's 1980 Duke Kahanamoku Trophy (purchased by 3X world champion Andy Irons).
Community sentiment to find a way to permanently protect the area rather than see it developed prompted the Trust for Public Land as well as City, state and federal officials to get involved in acquiring the land from Obayashi. Once the acquisition takes place, the mauka portion of the site will be turned over to the state as a park reserve. The City would get use of a small portion in the makai portion, for possible expansion of the Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park. Community organizations will partner in stewardship of the land. "It's very important that the community remains both vigilant and proactive in it's monitoring of development on the North Shore," said NSCLT President Blake McElheny, " there are thousands of acres of privately owned properties out here that are vulnerable to acquisition by Obayashi type corporations. Our goal is to initiate sustained relationships with, and educate these landowners, so that arbitrary property sales can be averted." The NSCLT was founded in 1998 and is operated by McElheny and seven other board members.
"After speaking with Blake about the formation of the land trust, I decided to get involved immediately instead of waiting for the situation to come around," said Jack Johnson, "he has been a real positive force in driving the effort. It was Blake's idea to put a face to the effort by sending me and Masuo Uedo of Surfrider Japan to meet with and gift Obayashi officials. The meeting was very productive not only for the land trust issue, but for the Hawaii/Japan relationship in general." McElheny said that the meeting was a real turning point in the negotiations.
The North Shore community has been able to mobilize an unprecedented and remarkable coalition including the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawai'i, the Federal government, the US Army Garrison Hawai'i, and other private contributors including Brushfire Records, the Freeman Foundation, Sole International Corporation, the Quiksilver Foundation (and 7X surfing world champion Kelly Slater) and Patagonia to commit financial support for the public acquisition and permanent protection of Pupukea Paumalu. By working with project partner, the Trust for Public Land, the community dream is within reach and the property is on track to be permanently protected as a public natural area by summer 2006. The entire North Shore community, volunteers from Surfrider Foundation and Patagonia Haleiwa, and a broad spectrum of the surfing world have participated in the effort in special ways. This has made the Campaign successful and provided outstanding momentum. Other surf companies contributing to the effort include Billabong, Hurley, Haleiwa Surfboard Company, Xcel Wetsuits, Reef, O'Neill, Haleiwa Surf n Sea, Charlie Walker Surfboards, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Twin Fin Wines, and Strong Current Haleiwa. The North Shore Community Land Trust continues to extend gratitude to everyone for demonstrating what can be accomplished when people come together based on shared values. "It's quite natural for local residents to get involved when their rural lifestyle and surrounding open spaces are threatened. The North Shore has given surfing and the world at large so much, and we will continue to spearhead the call to action whenever something like this happens in the future," said McElheny.
There are a lot of ill-intentioned profiteers out there trying to extract their pound of flesh from the North Shore, and the hope is that this case will demonstrate clearly to them the resolve and tenacity of the local community. Please help support this effort by purchasing limited edition Pupukea Paumalu t-shirts (featuring Bill Braden's art work hand delivered to Obayashi in Tokyo) which are available exclusively from Patagonia Haleiwa here and more information and an opportunity to donate online toward the final $200,000 needed are at northshoreland.org.
--
Dean Luke
MORE SURFNEWS
|
