Hawai‘i
YOU HELPED US ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH IN 2024, AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO COME!
Connecting Everyone to the Outdoors in Hawaiʻi
With the many challenges facing our nation, communities in Hawai‘i and beyond are eager for solutions. YOU are part of the solution. Together, we are not just dreaming of a healthier, more equitable, more climate-resilient future—we are actively building it.
Over the last year, we led the successful Sentinel Landscape designation effort. Now, over 2 million acres of land on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, and Kaua‘i are eligible for priority and enhanced consideration for federal funding for conservation, climate resiliency, and agriculture and working lands that will benefit residents and reduce and mitigate military impacts on communities.
We also conserved a total of nearly 500 acres for public benefit and agriculture on O‘ahu and Maui. The protected Whitmore West Agricultural lands in Central O‘ahu have provided the landowner with funds to reinvest in the area’s agricultural infrastructure. While Pōhākea (aka Mā‘alaea Mauka) on Maui will be managed to reduce wildfire risks and prevent erosion and sediment runoff into Mā‘alaea Bay’s coral reefs.
In the coming year, we will leverage TPL’s national expertise by fundraising for a Maui Nui project manager position, complete funding for ‘A‘ala Park Phase II
(design, planning, and permitting), and deepen our focus on our Aloha ‘Āina program to uplift Hawai‘i and her people. Our team will keep in mind this ‘ōlelo no‘eau (Hawaiian proverb) as we work together to grow our impact in Hawai‘i:
Komo mai kau māpuna hoe. Dip your
paddle
“Join in the effort”
— Selection no. 1836 from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, Bishop Museum Press, 1983.
With our new President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, TPL is on firm footing. She brings a wealth of experience in public policy, philanthropy, the outdoor industry, and community engagement, making her an ideal leader for TPL’s next chapter. Most recently, she served as President and CEO of Colorado Mountain College. She has served on numerous boards including the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, Great Outdoors Colorado, and American Rivers. We are confident that our new leader will continue to advance our mission with thoughtfulness and dedication.
As TPL looks to the future, we remain committed to our vision of a world where every person can strengthen their pilina (connection) with ‘āina, nature, and each other. We sincerely appreciate your steadfast support of TPL. Thank you for partnering with us on this journey— we invite you to join us in the effort!
Mahalo ā nui!
Lea Hong Hawai‘i State Director Edmund C. Olson Trust Fellow
Lea Hong, and pup, Milo, paddling boarding at Kawela Bay, which TPL helped protect in 2015.
PHOTO BY JENNY SATHNGAM
Pōhākea & Whitmore West Agricultural Lands Forever Protected
TPL partnered with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Maui County, and the community to purchase and protect 257-acres in Central Maui called Pōhākea (Mā‘alaea Mauka), including three wells and a 750,000-gallon water tank for the benefit of the community. The County of Maui Open Space contributed $6.2 million and the State Legacy Land Conservation Program contributed $1 million to fund the conservation purchase. The protection effort enables the new landowner, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, to collaborate with the County of Maui and community stakeholders to reduce recurrent wildfire risks, enhance public access to hiking trails, protect cultural and scenic resources, and reduce stormwater runoff and erosion impacting Mā‘alaea Bay.
TPL, in partnership with the State of Hawai‘i Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC), also protected 234 acres of former Dole Plantation agricultural lands in Central
In Memory of Ed Olson CONSERVATIONIST, PHILANTHROPIST, VISIONARY
Edmund C. Olson was a conservationist, philanthropist, and business leader who strongly supported TPL’s work protecting ‘āina in Hawai‘i.
Ed made significant contributions to land conservation in Hawai‘i by donating conservation easements that dedicated thousands of acres of his land on Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to agriculture or conservation. Additionally, he invested in successful campaigns to establish open space land conservation funds across the State; including the Public Access Open Space and Natural Resources Commission (aka the 2% or PONC
O‘ahu called Whitmore West Agricultural Lands . The lands have been dedicated to agricultural use in perpetuity. For more than a decade, TPL, state senators and representatives, ADC, and the community have been working to preserve and protect Central O‘ahu’s vital agricultural lands like Whitmore West to help address the state’s agricultural challenges by increasing food security and sovereignty.
fund) on Hawai‘i Island, and the Clean Water & Natural Lands Fund on O‘ahu. These programs have generated tens of millions of dollars to safeguard special places in Hawai‘i for future generations. We are forever grateful for his generosity, kind spirit, and foresight in establishing the Edmund C. Olson Trust Fellow endowment at TPL, which supports our state director and ensures TPL is able to continue to connect people to the outdoors in Hawai‘i.
TPL is humbled to have worked alongside Ed for nearly two decades to protect ‘āina for kama‘āina and are grateful for his leadership and inspiration. Moe mālie, a hui hou e Ed.
Grow your legacy: Have you considered making a planned gift to TPL, like Ed Olson so thoughtfully did? Ensure healthy land and livable communities for all by naming TPL as a beneficiary of your will, living trust, or retirement account. Make your legacy one of hope, humanity, and a love of nature—for generations to come.
PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
PHOTO BY SCOTT DREXLER
Hawaiʻi Sentinel Landscape Designation
TPL led the effort and successfully secured the Sentinel Landscape designation covering over 2 million acres of land on Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, and O‘ahu, which was announced May 2024.
The Sentinel Landscape designation enhances collaborative conservation, protects natural and cultural resources, bolsters agriculture, ranching and forestry, increases climate resilience, and helps attract more federal funding, while at the same time supporting military readiness.
As a result of the designation, any conservation project in the designated geography will have “Pualani Platinum” status and be pushed to the front of the line for federal conservation funding. This designation does not create new regulations or programs, but enhances Hawai‘i’s competitiveness for federal conservation funding. Initiatives may include efforts to restore and protect critical habitats, enhance water quality and management, reduce vulnerability to natural disasters and promote sustainable land use practices.
Examples of the types of projects that can be funded under the Sentinel Landscape include:
• the permanent protection and purchase of forested lands in Maunawili by TPL in partnership with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife; and
• the permanent protection and purchase of critical watershed lands known as Kāne‘ohe Pali in the Ko‘olau Mountain Range by TPL in partnership with the State.
The Hawai‘i Sentinel Designation does not currently have an expiration or sunset date.
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
Numerous agencies and organizations deeply committed to Hawai‘i’s future collaborated to ensure this effort could advance. The steering committee for this initiative includes:
Trust for Public Land
Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Council
Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance
Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture
Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
Natural Resource Conservation Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
Navy Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i
Pacific Missile Range Facility
Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i
National Association of Conservation Districts
PHOTO BY PHIL SPALDING III/THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Se ntin e l Lands ca pe b oundar y La n d a rea
Nea r coa sta l p ri ority are a
Pa rks, re se rv es , and o the r pro te cte d land
Military land
Military lea se d are as
Th e Hawa i' i Sen t in el L an d sca p e in cl ud es por tion s o f Haw a i'i Is lan d , Ka ua i, a n d O'a h u, a s sh ow n o n th e m ap b y ar ea s out lin ed in pu rpl e Spa n n in g o ver 2 mi lli on a cr es , c on s erva tio n effo rts w ith i n th e de sig n at ed a rea a re pri oriti ze d a n d re ce ive s pe ci al c on si dera tio n for var iou s f ede ra l fu n din g pr ogr am s
A Day on the Land at ʻAʻala Park
In April, TPL brought the community together for our annual A Day on the Land. Volunteers from across O‘ahu stewarded ‘A‘ala Park, located in the dense and diverse Downtown/Chinatown area. More than 75 volunteers from nine local companies and the City & County of Honolulu learned about the park’s dynamic history and the community’s current work to improve and enhance the park to create a safe, welcoming space for all. Volunteers assisted with removing trash, painting over graffiti, planting native trees, and touching up colorful murals.
Parks are essential community assets in Hawai‘i.
Neighborhood parks are where we spend time with friends, family, or to let keiki (or dogs) play. They connect people to nature, improve community health, and keep our city cooler in the summer. Alongside the community and our partners, TPL is working to revitalize ‘A‘ala Park into a once-again cherished public space.
‘A‘ala Park spans nearly 7 acres and is located within a 10-minute walk for approximately 18,000 residents. Despite its rich history as a hub for political discourse
PHOTO BY JENNY SATHNGAM
and cultural celebrations since the early 1900s, this urban ‘āina has become a place where locals feel unsafe. Over the last year we coordinated and participated in over a dozen park outreach and community events reaching nearly 51,000 residents. We also hired a park events and activities coordinator to grow our engagement with the community around ‘A‘ala.
MAHALO TO OUR 2024 CORPORATE ‘OHANA MEMBERS
Mahalo to our Corporate ‘Ohana members for partnering with TPL to lead impactful change to ensure ‘āina is protected in perpetuity across our islands.
AES
Alexander & Baldwin
ALOHA Collection
American Savings Bank
Central Pacific Bank Foundation
First Hawaiian Bank Foundation
Hawai‘i Gas
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union Foundation
James Campbell Company
Macy’s
Oceanit
Title Guaranty Hawaii
Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation
Ward Village Foundation
In the Year Ahead Your Partnership Will Support...
In 2023, we reflected on and celebrated our first 50 years of impact. From protecting vast stretches of wide-open spaces to revamping trails and parks, we strive for equity, inclusion, and access for everyone. Now, we are looking ahead at the work still to be done.
Komo mai kau māpuna hoe — Join us in the effort!
Aloha ʻĀina
Land return initiatives and Indigenous stewardship are an integral part of our equity-focused approach to conservation. Our Aloha ‘Āina Program protects and returns culturally important lands to Native Hawaiian organizations for community-based stewardship.
TPL is raising $495,000 to support this work over the coming year, which will help protect Palawai, Makali‘i, and Loko Ea “Queen’s Retreat” (O‘ahu); ‘Anaeho‘omalu Kapalaoa and Kōkua Kealakekua (Hawai‘i Island); and Kupeke Fishpond (Moloka‘i).
Sustainable Hawaiʻi
Hawai‘i currently imports around 90% of its food. This leaves residents’ food security at the mercy of increasing climate change disasters, floods, droughts, fires, and increases in fuel and shipping costs. Our Sustainable Hawai‘i Program safeguards lands that produce Hawai‘i’s food, forests, and water.
TPL is raising $355,000 to support this work over the coming year, which will help protect Maunawili Pali & Keko‘owai, Kāne‘ohe Forest, Kōkua Learning Farm (O‘ahu); East Maui Coastal Rainforest (Maui).
Parks for People
‘A‘ala Park presents a vital opportunity to help residents improve their health and quality of life. Community challenges include disproportionately high rates of diabetes and pre-diabetes, public safety concerns, and
Families planting a grove of tī to honor and celebrate the protection of the Halulu Fishpond Access at Waipā.
PHOTO BY KELSEY ROGERS & WAIPĀ FOUNDATION
neighborhood blight—all problems further complicated and amplified by the urban heat island effect, rising temperatures and sea levels, and increased flooding during intense rainfall events. Our Parks for People Program is working in partnership with the community to transform ‘A‘ala Park into a safe and welcoming space for all.
TPL is raising $611,000 to conduct Phase 2, which will support planning, permitting, construction documents for park improvements, and ultimately an enhanced park designed with and for the community.
TPL HAWAI‘I BOARD
Mahalo to our volunteer leaders who guide and inspire
work across Hawai‘i Nei!
Ka‘iulani Sodaro, Chair, Ward Village/ Howard Hughes Corp.
Race Randl e, Vice Chair, Maui Land & Pineapple Company
Marco Abbruzzese , Bank of Hawai‘i
Ane Bakutis , Kealopiko
Cathy Camp, Central Pacific Bank
Kekama Helm , Conservationist
Chris Hochuli, Merrill Lynch
Steve Kelly, James Campbell Company LLC
Ala Keolanui, O.K. Farms
Troy Keolanui, O.K. Farms
Mino McLean , Island Sotheby’s International Realty
John Meier, Conservationist
Blake Oshiro, State of Hawai‘i
Jeff Overton , G70
F. Mahina Paishon-Duarte, The Waiwai Collective
Mike B. Pietsch , Title Guaranty Hawaii
Brad Punu , Green Climate Fund
Kirstin Punu , AES
Tom Reeve , Conservationist
Jonathan Sprague, Pūlama Lāna‘i
Dr. Rachel Sprague, Pūlama Lāna‘i
Jan Sullivan , Oceanit
EMERITUS
Edmund C. Olson , The Edmund C. Olson Trust, served 2006–21
MAHALO
tpl.org/donate/hi