Hawai‘i County has closed on the purchase of an 81-acre property along the Hāmākua coast, locking in public ownership of a lush estuary, a 30-foot waterfall and a stream that runs straight into the ocean. Day-to-day care of the site will fall to the Makahanaloa Fishing Association, while county staff keep overall oversight to protect habitat and public access.
Neighbors Rallied To Stop Private Development
The property hit the market in 2023, and nearby residents quickly worried that outside buyers would carve it up into subdivisions and cut off access to the shoreline. In response, neighbors, local activists and community leaders organized tours of the land, pushed county officials to get involved and cooperated with the listing agent to craft a plan that would keep the site in public hands and under local stewardship.
What’s On The Property
The Kawainui Makai site sits off Onomea Scenic Drive and consists of two adjacent parcels totaling roughly 80 to 81 acres. It is blanketed in dense forest and includes remnants of an early 20th-century railroad trestle along with a dramatic waterfall that feeds the estuary below. The land also contains stands of teak and mahogany that community members see as a possible revenue source for long-term maintenance, as reported by Big Island Now. The estuary supports the endangered orangeblack Hawaiian damselfly, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
How The Buy Was Paid For
The deal relied on $6.2 million from Hawai‘i County’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission, according to reporting by Honolulu Civil Beat. The state Legacy Land Conservation Commission had previously signed off on a smaller, symbolic contribution to support the effort, and Department of Land and Natural Resources records show it ultimately provided $1 million in grant funding for the Kawainui Makai project. The county’s acquisition program rests on a county charter requirement that dedicates a slice of property-tax revenue to buying open space, according to the county program’s materials.
What Comes Next
County officials say they will partner with the Makahanaloa Fishing Association, a group that represents roughly 300 families, to create a stewardship plan that balances public access, subsistence fishing and habitat protection. “Our mission is to keep that resource accessible,” Makahanaloa president Blake McNaughton told Honolulu Civil Beat. The association plans to develop site rules and a long-term care strategy for the area.
Why This Matters
Safeguarding Kawainui Makai keeps a rare stream-to-ocean ecosystem on the Big Island intact and protects shoreline access that local fishers have depended on for generations. The mix of intact stream channels, cultural features and endangered-species habitat turns this into a notable conservation win at the local level, one that lines up with both state and county land-protection priorities.
