Connect With Us: Menu Wao Kele o Puna Wao Kele o Puna is a 25,856-acre property that OHA owns on Hawaiʻi Island. For OHA, the property reflects the weighted importance of ʻāina and its connection to Native Hawaiian culture and people. OHA’s aquistion of Wao Kele o Puna provides an opportunity for OHA to contribute to the protection of Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources through the lens of Hawaiian culture and practice. Location: Ahupuaʻa of Waiakahiula, Kaʻohe Moku of Puna Mokupuni of Hawaiʻi Puna district, island of Hawai‘i Acquired: 2006 Size: 25,856 acres Zoning: Conservation. State forest reserve protective subzone Cost to OHA: $300,000. Federal Forest Legacy Program paid the balance of the $3.65 million purchase price Tenure and use: Owned fee simple Acquisition objectives: Protect natural and cultural resources Protect traditional and customary rights of Native Hawaiians on the parcels Features: Forest Reserve; Puna Rainforest One of few remaining tracts of lowland rainforest in the State of Hawaiʻi Many benefits to surrounding lands and communities of Puna (watershed recharge, native plant seed bank for Kīlauea volcano, endangered species habitat, forest resources for gathering and cultural practices) Sacred place for Native Hawaiians – part of the home of the Goddess Pele Comprehensive Management Plan Complete Since the beginning of 2016, OHA worked with its contractor, Forest Solutions Inc., and a number of subcontractors, to draft a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for Wao Kele o Puna, a 25,856-acre property that OHA owns on Hawaiʻi Island. A substantial component to the planning process has been community engagement, which was conducted through ethnohistorical interviews, a community advisory council, called the ‘Aha Kūkākūkā, and two public meeting. On July 6, 2017, OHA held a public meeting at the Kamehameha Schools Keaʻau Campus to present the Draft Comprehensive Management Plan. Mahalo to David Corrigan of Big Island Video News for recording the presentation, which is available for viewing below. OHA’s Board of Trustees approved the Final CMP in August 2017 and OHA staff has since begun implementation. E Nihi ka Helena i ka Uka o Puna – An Ethnohistorical Study of Wao Kele o Puna Wao Kele o Puna Final Comprehensive Management Plan – 2017 LATEST NEWS More OHA HIRES NEW CHIEF ADVOCATE AND NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR MORE DR. DAVID KEKAULIKE SING HONORED BY THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION WITH A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD MORE STATEMENT FROM OHA BOARD CHAIR LINDSEY ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLESʻ DAY MORE OHA DELIVERS “MEALS & MAHALO” TO FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON HAWAI’I ISLAND MORE OHA ANNOUNCES COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION OF TWO PROPERTIES NEXT TO NĀ LAMA KUKUI MORE Office of Hawaiian Affairs 560 Nimitz Hwy #200 Honolulu, HI 96817 SITE INFO Employment Opportunities Staff: Webmail Public Notices Media Kit Terms of Use Policy Privacy Policy CONTACT US Email Us Office Locations (808) 594-1835 © 2021 Office of Hawaiian Affairs