You Can Help Designate Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu a National Heritage Area

If you’ve ever explored the Kaʻena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oʻahu westernmost promontory, you’ll know how special it is.

Not only is it one of the last intact sand dune ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands, but the area is also home to wedge-tailed shearwaters, Laysan albatross and Hawaiian monk seals. (Winter months bring humpback whales offshore.) It’s also one of the most sacred places on Oʻahu, where the dead depart the world.

A Laysan albatross sitting on eggs at Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu.
Photo: Getty Images/zackwool

Because of that, the National Park Service is seeking public input on a study to determine the possibility of designating this a national heritage site.

According to the NPS, National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. Through their resources, NHAs tell nationally important stories that celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage.

The study will document the region’s unique and important stories, heritage and Native Hawaiian cultural values, and explore how a potential new national heritage area, if designated by Congress, would be organized and managed by a local coordinating entity.

“Ka‘ena Point, and places related to it, are areas of deep cultural significance and meaning, as well as dramatic landscapes and refuges for native plants and birds,” said Martha Crusius, National Park Service regional planning program manager, in a news release. “Input from the community is critical to the study process as we learn more about the area and whether designation would be appropriate to help the community honor and protect its heritage.”

The public is invited to share their thoughts and comments now through Nov. 15 at this link.

There are 62 designated national heritage areas in 36 states and territories that support a diverse range of conservation, recreation, education and preservation activities.