By Chelsea Jensen
By Chelsea Jensen
Stephens Media
If another State Historic Preservation Plan is created, the State Historic Preservation Division needs to take action on its contents — not shelve it, Big Island residents voiced Thursday in Kailua-Kona.
“How is this effort going to be different from when plans were done before and then nothing happens?” Waimea resident Margaret Wille asked. “How can we feel that what you’re doing now is just not one more effort of ‘show-and-tell’ and that something doable happens?”
The division’s administrator, Pua Aiu, did not give a definitive answer on whether the plan would be fully implemented but noted the plan is required by the National Park Service and helps identify priorities areas so the division “can look at what we can and can’t do.”
Later in the meeting, the issue rose again with Kona resident Chuck Flaherty chiming in. He also explained that the community’s skepticism and frustration is derived from years of residents providing input without seeing action or enforcement.
“We need a State Historic Preservation Division that actually does its job. (A division) who has an administrator who will not get up and say what they can’t do,” he said. … “That’s all we have here — plenty of excuses but there has been no proactive, effective plan developed or implemented.”
About four dozen people attended the public meeting held at Kealakehe Intermediate School’s cafeteria to provide input on the under way State Historic Preservation Plan held. The Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Division contracted Honolulu-based SMS Hawaii to develop the five-year plan. A draft plan is anticipated by the end of August and a final plan by Oct. 30.
Public input ranged from questioning the adminstration and its implementation and enforcement of the plan to imposing penalties not fines upon violators, preserving natural watershed resources, and ensuring connectivity of ancient trails, which resident Linda Lesley said are being divided by private development.
Some also provided ideas such as creating a centralized website where people can provide input or concerns as well as keep up to date on the division’s activities.
Others asked the division get more than two trained archaeologist for Hawaii Island or possibly recruit students coming out of the University of Hawaii.
“Despite all the complaints I’m hearing there are priorities in there,” Aiu said. “We only have a certain amount of funds so we can only do so much but if you give us priorities we can try.”
The plan is required to receive federal funding and helps set statewide priorities and guide action of the state division for the next five years, according to the department.
The plan is needed to comply with federal National Parks Service Historic Preservation Fund grant requirements. The last National Park Service-approved plan came in 2001. A draft plan completed in 2009 was not approved by the service.
Not having an approved plan could jeopardize the state’s matching grants, which are in excess of $1.1 million, according to a March 2010 letter to former-DLNR Chairwoman Laura Thielen outlining the service’s various concerns about mandated activities not being met.
Input can be sent to SMS via email at Historicpreservation@smshawaii.com, or by mail to SMS, 1042 Fort Street Mall, Ste. 200, Honolulu, HI 96813. Suggestions can be given over phone toll free at (877) 535-5767.
For more information, visit hawaiihistoricpreservation.com.
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.