O‘ahu, also known as the “The Gathering Place,” is the most visited island on Hawaiʻi. Its stunning sights, beautiful beaches, bustling nightlife, and fabulous cuisine attract visitors from around the globe. But that demand has put extreme pressure on the land, and the threat of development is real and present. 

Stretching five miles between Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point lies a project called Kahuku Kawela Forever—a scenic and secluded span of beach lined by rugged, wild, windswept coastline that surrounds the Turtle Bay Resort and is also home to endangered monk seals, green sea turtles, and whales that breach just offshore in the crystal-clear ocean.  

Even Hollywood understands the rare beauty Kahuku Kawela Forever exudes: it’s the setting of the featured film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the T.V. series Lost, and the Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie.  

As one of the last undeveloped wild shorelines on O‘ahu, Kahuku Kawela Forever was imminently threatened with development because of past entitlements granted decades ago that allowed as many as five new hotels, thousands of resort residences, and additional shopping and commercial centers that would  crowd the beloved untouched wild coastline. For decades, community members fervently opposed development on O’ahu’s rugged North Shore. 

Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the North Shore Community Land Trust, worked tirelessly to negotiate a conservation agreement with the State of Hawai’i, the City and County of Honolulu, and the landowner. We secured $2.5 million from the U.S. Army to complete the $45 million effort. In October 2015, we completed the historic agreement to conserve 630 acres of this irreplaceable wild shoreline, ensuring that these beautiful lands will remain undeveloped forever. 

In addition to protecting five miles of shoreline, we facilitated public access to trails around the Turtle Bay Resort and ensured public parking and facilities were provided.  

“There’s a permanence with the work that we do. It’s satisfying knowing that this land is going to be protected forever,” says Lea Hong, State Director of TPL Hawaiʻi. “It is an amazing feeling to see families going to the beach, enjoying the hiking trails, and surfing—and to know that will continue.” 

This project was one of TPL’s high-profile projects that spanned the terms of three mayors and three governors. Both public and private funds helped protect this precious coast through a combination of a fee purchase of lands around Kawela Bay and a conservation easement which achieves the following:  

• resolves the decades-long threat to this scenic shoreline forever 
• guarantees that the land will never be developed 
• protects high-quality wildlife habitat near the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge 
• safeguards nesting and feeding sites of the threatened green sea turtle and pupping beaches of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal 
• protects land around Punaho‘olapa Marsh, home to four species of endangered Hawaiian water birds 
• keeps the coast open to the community, island residents, and tourists for hiking, fishing, surfing, and exploring without burdening the government with expensive ownership, trail maintenance, and management costs 
• protects Native Hawaiian burials or ‘iwi

Those fondest of O‘ahu’s North Shore celebrate knowing public access, open space, and habitat values are guaranteed. Open to all, Kawela Bay and Kahuku Point will remain forever-protected slices of unspoiled Hawai‘i.