Nonprofit Plans to Purchase Lumahai Beach (HI)

HONOLULU, HI– The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit land conservation organization, announced today its plans to purchase Lumahai Beach on the island of Kaua`i. The 37-acre parcel of land is situated on the north shore of Kaua`i, just past the town of Hanalei, and is renowned as one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Hawai`i. TPL hopes to convey the beach and uplands to the state of Hawai`i by the end of December, 2000.

“TPL is excited to be an important part of the public protection of Lumahai Beach. The acquisition of Lumahai Beach by the state speaks to a thoughtful preservation of the best and most beautiful of Hawaii’s coastal resources,” said Teresa McHugh, project manager for TPL’s Hawaiian Islands Field Office.

The land TPL is working to acquire is a part of a larger privately owned parcel. The separation of the original property into two parcels is deemed a subdivision, and requires approval by the Kaua`i County Planning Commission and the State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR).

Today, TPL and the landowners requested approval from the BLNR for a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) to allow the property to be subdivided. Obtaining the CDUP is the first major step in the administrative decision-making process required to subdivide the land. Kauai County Planning Commission will next determine whether to grant the Preliminary Approval for the subdivision.

The broad expanse of white sand beach, embraced by lush vegetation and turquoise waters, has been depicted over several decades in postcards, photographs, paintings and movies, most famously the 1957 classic movie musical South Pacific. Today, Lumahai Beach is cherished by locals and appreciated by more than one million of visitors to the island each year that pause along the roadway to view this scenic jewel, conspicuous along a coastline adorned with beautiful beaches.

TPL is a nonprofit land group that works nationwide to protect lands with natural, recreational, cultural, and scenic values. In Kauai, TPL previously helped to acquire and protect land at Kilauea Point and Crater Hill on Kauai, now part of the National Wildlife Refuge at Kilauea Point, and has worked with the Kauai Public Land Trust and the National Tropical Botanical Gardens at Limahuli. TPL has also completed land conservation projects on Molokai, Maui, and Oahu. Nationwide, the group has acquired and protected 1.2 million acres of land valued in excess of $1.9 billion dollars. For more information about TPL’s work in Hawai`i and around the country, please visit our website at www.tpl.org