News Release

Kahuku Unit Site Management Plan and Environmental Assessment Open for Comment

Native rainforest in Upper Kahuku

NPS Photo/D.Foster

News Release Date: June 2, 2026

Contact: HAVO Public Affairs

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park invites the community to share feedback on the Comprehensive Site Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) for the Kahuku Unit. Photos available for download.  

The comment period for the Plan/EA starts today, June 2 and closes July 1 at 8:59 p.m. HST. The plan proposes increases in visitor access and recreational opportunities, including a day-use permit system for Kahuku-Pōhue. The plan includes protection for the diverse natural and cultural resources of the area.      

There are several ways to provide feedback and learn more about the Plan/EA:   

 Attend a talk story session:   

•  Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station, Māmalahoa Highway (Hwy 11) near mile marker 70.5.  
  
•  Tuesday, June 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Nāʻālehu Community Center, 95-5635 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd.   

 Review the Project/EA and submit comments online. A visual StoryMap with project highlights is also available:  

•  https://parkplanning.nps.gov/KahukuSitePlan  
 

The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit is located in Kaʻū, 42 miles (about an hour drive) south of the main park entrance. The unit includes Upper and Lower Kahuku mauka of Highway 11 and Kahuku-Pōhue (makai of the highway).  Input from the Kaʻū community, focus groups and local organizations during public meetings in 2024 helped inform the plan.  

 

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