It was announced in a press release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) on September 18 that a private donor is prepared to donate land adjacent to the Pololū trailhead to implement a new management plan there.
The trailhead at the end of Akoni Pule Highway, a destination on many tourists’ checklist, is overcrowded with an average of 600 – sometimes upwards to 1,000 – visitors a day. The land that will be donated had already been selected as an ideal location to relocate the Pololū Stewardship program. This was largely in part because of its existing foundation and space to improve traffic flow and parking efficiency.
While this news may be fresh off the press to many, to lineal descendants, generational ʻohana, and long-time residents of Pololū and the surrounding ahupuaʻa, this has been a manifestation. The collective work and partnerships that have formed reflect the vision to protect Pololū.
Without knowing what type of results would transpire, there have been many key moments that contributed to where we are today.
Like when Kohala High School students bravely ignited the importance of protecting Pololū by uploading their #savepololu video to YouTube in 2020. Or the dream of a lineal descendant to drape a community-braided lei lāʻī of aloha across the entire valley floor to safeguard iwi kūpuna, which has become a reality for the past three years. Or even the Pololū Stewardship program that was created to mitigate and educate the overwhelming visitor numbers and the three successful years it’s been in operation.
On one of those days that Sarah Pule-Fujii, a Pololū steward and lineal descendant, was working, she unknowingly educated a critical player in all of this.
According to DLNR’s press release, the private donor said, “I was greeted by Sarah Pule-Fujii, one of Pololū’s stewards, who shared with me the sacredness and cultural importance of the Pololū Valley. That interaction left a lasting impression with me and sparked my desire to help provide a solution to some of the difficulties the Pololū community was experiencing.”
Townscape, Inc., the company tasked with recommending the new management plan, worked closely with Pololū stakeholders, state officials, and Kohala community members to determine the best possible scenario. The land donor will be supporting this and what best aligns to the needs of Pololū: fewer people, portable lua (restrooms), and rest.
 on September 18 that a private donor is prepared to donate land adjacent to the Pololū trailhead to implement a new management plan there.){kind=link}