Governor's Office News Release: Historic Conservation Agreement Forever Preserves North Shore Coastline

Press Release

Land conservation history was made today as Turtle Bay Resort and a collaboration of entities led by the State of Hawai"i, completed an agreement to preserve in perpetuity almost 630 acres of open space along O"ahu's North Shore coastline. The transaction was recorded in the State's Bureau of Conveyances as Escrow No. 210-15066667.

Video of the Bureau of Conveyances and Registrar Nicki Ann Thompson reviewing Turtle Bay closing documents is available at: Www.vimeo.com/143412271.

"Today marks the formal beginning of a partnership that will forever preserve this precious stretch of land for generations to come," said Gov. Ige.

Gov. Ige signed into law Senate Bill 284 on June 12, 2015, following the initiative of the Hawai"i State Senate and the State House of Representatives which created legislation supporting this historic agreement. The details of the agreement were approved by the State Board of Land and Natural Resources on September 25, 2015.

The property protected by this conservation agreement covers more than four miles from Kahuku Point to Kawela Bay and represents nearly four percent of O"ahu's coastline.

The agreement between Turtle Bay Resort, the State of Hawai"i, City and County of Honolulu, U.S. Army and The Trust for Public Land is supported by a host of community groups and stakeholders, including the North Shore Community Land Trust.

The land acquired by the City and County of Honolulu under its Clean Water Act grant funding is located in Kawela Bay near a 4.9 acre site that will be dedicated as a public park for recreational use by residents and visitors.

 "Today is a victory for everyone who believes in private public partnerships and the ability to find solutions that fairly and wisely balance the interests of landowners, the environment and the community. We are very grateful to Gov. Ige for his leadership and partnership, and are thankful for all the support from our state and county lawmakers and community residents. This settles decades of disagreement on the future of Turtle Bay Resort. Everyone wins with this conservation agreement," said Drew Stotesbury, chief executive officer for Turtle Bay Resort.

The U.S. Army, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, contributed $2.5 million toward the conservation agreement via the Army Compatible Use Buffer Program (ACUB), which preserves land around military installations. The Army's Kahuku Training Area is its largest on O"ahu and is used by all of the military services for ground and aviation training.

At the grassroots level, the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) was vital in providing Turtle Bay Resort officials with both perspective and guidance from the Ko"olauloa and North Shore communities on the need to reach an agreement acceptable to residents' interests.

Scott McCormack, vice president, Turtle Bay Resort noted that the resort's remaining development rights -- 725 units, or 20 percent of what was allowable before this agreement -- represent an opportunity to create much needed employment for area residents, while also conserving massive amounts of open space. Moreover, gaining approval of this residual development plan from key stakeholder groups was key to the agreement.

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