Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle (LKOC) has been involved in the restoration of Kawainui Marsh since 1951, when our members began clearing the Ulupo Heiau site, which had been largely ignored and unmarked on maps of the time.

We believe the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for Kawainui-Hamakua proposes much-needed restoration efforts; and facilities for education, culture and management by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, will offer many beneficial opportunities to the community and the health of the wetland.

However, the nature and scale of construction as detailed in the FEIS — in particular, the hardscape buildings and parking lots in the upland areas of an already compromised ecosystem — should be dramatically scaled back, given their potential for irreversible environmental impacts to the adjacent wetland, floodplain, wildlife habitat, and water quality of Kailua Bay.

We’d like to see the FEIS revised or that supplemental EIS documents be prepared to more comprehensively address environmental issues at Pohakea, Kapa‘a, and Wai‘auia.

The natural, cultural and scenic capital of Kawainui are public trust resources that benefit the people of the state.

The future of Kailua depends on the marsh as an integral part of the Kailua watershed.

Diane Harding

LKOC president

Kailua

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