Hāʻena State Park Recognized During Preservation Honor Awards

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation (HHF) recognized restoration and protection efforts made by community and state partners in Hāʻena State Park.

On Friday, May 21, HFF presented its 47th Annual Preservation Honor Awards during a virtual ceremony. Two programs/projects of the DLNR Division of State Parks and one DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) project were recognized.

A programmatic award was given to the Division of State Parks and its partners for the Hāʻena State Park Master Plan. The community-based plan prioritized the protection, rehabilitation, and restoration of the Kaua‘i park’s archaeological, cultural and natural resources. Since the implementation of the plan in mid-2019 after historical flooding had closed the park and the adjacent Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, community and cultural advisory groups were given the responsibility to help oversee park access and its significant resources.

“Historic sites and features are often overshadowed by the picturesque landscapes and lush vegetation in Hawaii’s parks and forests, but they are critically important to protect and preserve as tangible connections to the past,” said State Parks Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter.

The restoration of the Allerton Caretaker’s Cottage and the Montgomery House in Hāʻena State Park were recognized by HHF with a project award. Both historic structures were in danger of falling down. Their restoration was an integral component in the implementation of the master plan.

Allerton was restored for use by park rangers and for cultural practitioners at the Ka-ulu-o-Paoa heiau and the Ke-Ahu-a-Laka hulu platform. Montgomery House was restored for multiple purposes including educational programs, use by park staff, and by community volunteers who maintain the traditional lo‘i kalo at Hāʻena.

On O‘ahu, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and its partners also received project recognition for new protection measures at Kaniakapūpū ruins.