Kawala

The Ka‘ū community on Hawai‘i Island has been working for decades to protect its 80-mile undeveloped coastline, and The Trust for Public Land is helping the community to achieve its vision. Protecting these lands – its near-shore waters, threatened and endangered species, and the culture and history of its people – will preserve a treasured way of life for current and future generations.

Kuahiwi Ranch, owned and operated by three generations of the Galimba ‘ohana (family), purchased 772-acres along the coast at Kāwala, near the town of Na‘alehu. Kuahiwi Ranch specializes in local, free-range, grass-fed beef, marketing about 450,000 lbs. of meat annually, which contributes to local food security and self-sufficiency. Keeping these lands in agriculture supports Ka‘ū’s local economy and Hawai‘i’s agricultural economy.

The Trust for Public Land assisted the Ala Kahakai Trail Association (ATA) to purchase a conservation easement over the property that dedicates the land to agricultural and ranching purposes, and allows ATA to work with Kuahiwi Ranch to steward and protect numerous Native Hawaiian cultural sites on the property. The land is actively ranched, and public access is administered by ATA.