Foundation Document

This page contains elements of the “foundation document” for Kalaupapa National Historical Park. The foundation document provides the underlying basis for park management. The foundation document is a shared understanding of the park’s purpose, significance, resources and values, and interpretive themes. This page also includes documentation of the park's special mandates and administrative commitment. These statements identify Kalaupapa’s unique characteristics and what is most important about Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

A foundation document can be used in all aspects of park management to ensure that the most important objectives are accomplished before turning to items that are also important, but not directly critical to achieving the park purpose and maintaining its significance.

What is Included in this Foundation Document?

The foundation document includes relatively stable components that will not change much over time. These components are the legislated purpose of the park unit, the significance it holds, what the focus of its interpretation (interpretive themes) and education program should be, and its fundamental resources and values. The special mandates and administrative commitments sections include the requirements that must be followed in the management of the park unit.

Foundation Planning for Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Components of the foundation document for Kalaupapa NHP were developed at a workshop in October 2006 attended by park and regional staff, as well as other individuals associated with the history and management of the park. The foundation document components were refined by the planning team during the general management plan process between 2009 - 2017.

Purpose
A park purpose is a statement of why Congress and/or the president established a unit of the national park system. A purpose statement provides the most fundamental criteria against which the appropriateness of all planning recommendations, operational decisions, and actions are tested. The purpose of the park is grounded in a thorough analysis of the park’s legislation (or executive order) and legislative history. A park purpose statement goes beyond a restatement of the law and details shared assumptions about what the law means in terms specific to the park unit.

 

Purpose of the National Park System

To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

E mālama i ka ʻikena a me ko laila pono kuluma a pono makanahele i mea e hoʻonanea ai ko kēia wā i ia wahi ma ke ʻano e kanahaʻi ʻole iho ai ia mau pono no ka pōmaikaʻi o nā hanauna e hiki mai ana.

Purpose of Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Kalaupapa National Historical Park honors the moʻolelo (story) of the isolated Hansen’s disease (leprosy) com- munity by preserving and interpreting its site and values. The historical park also tells the story of the rich Hawai- ian culture and traditions at Kalaupapa that go back at least 900 years

Pūlama ʻo Kalaupapa National Historical Park i ka moʻolelo pana nui o ke kaiāulu o ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ma o ka mālama ʻana iho a me ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana aku i ia wahi a me nā pono ola o laila. Hōʻikeʻike pū ka pāka i ka moʻolelo o ka nohona me nā loina Hawaiʻi i hoʻomau ʻia aʻela ma Kalaupapa no nā makahiki he ʻeiwa hanele a ʻoi.

 

Significance

Park significance statements express why the park’s resources and values are important enough to warrant national park designation. Statements of the park’s significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, or systemwide context and are directly linked to the purpose of the park unit. Park unit significance statements are substanti- ated by data or consensus and reflect the most current scientific or scholarly inquiry and cultural perceptions, which may have changed since the park unit’s establishment.

Significance Statements for Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Kalaupapa National Historical Park preserves the only intact historic institutional settlement in the United States created for the sole purpose of isolating Hansen’s disease (leprosy) patients from the rest of society.	Mālama ʻo Kalaupapa National Historical Park i ke kaiāulu hoʻokahi i koe ma ʻAmelika i hoʻokumu mākia ʻia no ka hoʻokaupale ʻana i ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale mai ka lehulehu aku.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park’s surviving (and deceased) Hansen’s disease population, with its material culture, oral histories, and intact cultural landscape, is the only community of its kind in the United States.	ʻO Kalaupapa National Historical Park, me ka heluna kanaka maʻi hoʻokaʻawale e ola nei (a i hala aku) a me ona nā mau pono nohona, moʻolelo pilikino a hiʻohiʻona nohona e waiho nei, ʻo ia ke kaiāulu hoʻokahi o kona ʻano ma ʻAmelika Huipūʻia.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park is the site of renowned work by Saint Damien de Veuster, Saint Marianne Cope, Brother Dutton, Jonathan Napela, and Ambrose Hutchi- son, that has brought widespread attention to the segrega- tion and care of those afflicted with leprosy. Their work inspired many religious leaders, medical professionals and lay people to serve the Hansen’s disease community.	ʻO Kalaupapa National Historical Park kahi o ka hana kaulana a Sāna Kamiano De Veuster, Sāna Meleana Cope, Kahu Dutton, Jonathan Napela me Ambrose Hutchison, kahi mea e kuʻi ai ka lono e pili ana i ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻana a me ka mālama ʻana i ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale. Ua hoʻoulu kā lākou hana i nā alakaʻi hoʻomana, nā kauka a me ka lehulehu e komo i ka lawena hana no ke kaiāulu maʻi hoʻokaʻawale.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park’s history and land- scape document at least 900 years of native Hawaiian life, activities, and cultural heritage prior to 1866 when the first patients arrived. The vast number of archeological resources and variety of site types ake the park one of the richest and most valuable archaeological complexes in Hawaiʻi.	Hoʻākāka maila ka moʻolelo me ka waihona ʻāina o Kalaupapa National Historical Park i 900 a ʻoi mau maka- hiki o ka nohona Hawaiʻi maoli ma mua o ka hikina mua ʻana mai o ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale i ka makahiki 1866. ʻO ia kekahi o nā kahua hulikoena waiwai loa ma Hawaiʻi nei mamuli o ka helu nui o nā pono huʻea o laila, a me inā ʻano like ʻole o nā wahi hulikoena e waiho mai nei ma ia ʻāina.
Many who come to Kalaupapa recognize mana or spiritual power that Hawaiian peoples acknowledge in everything. The ʻāina (land), a vital source that links us to spirit is sacred and connects us to the continued presence of all who lived out their lives on this peninsula. The ʻāina’s mana (spiritual essence) connects us to each other.	Hoʻomaopopo pinepine ihola ka poʻe e kipa ana ma Kalaupapa i ka mana o ia wahi, ia mea a ka Hawaiʻi e ʻike ai ma nā mea a pau o ke ao. He mea laʻahia ka ʻāina, a he kumu pono e pili ai kākou i ka mauli ola, a e pili mai ai ke ʻano ō mau o ka poʻe o mua i noho a ola ma kēia ʻane moku. ʻO ka mana o ka ʻāina ka mea e pili mau ai kākou kekahi i kekahi.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park presents an exemplary geologic and scenic panorama of towering sea cliffs and a flat leaf-shaped peninsula that were created by a cataclys- mic landslide and subsequent volcanic eruption.	Kū ka ʻikena o nā pali kūnihi ma ka lihi o ka ʻanemoku palaha ma Kalaupapa National Historical Park i laʻana maikaʻi o kahi i haneʻe ʻino ai ka mauna a hū hou auaneʻi ka pele.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park presents an exemplary geologic and scenic panorama of towering sea cliffs and a flat leaf-shaped peninsula that were created by a cataclysmic landslide and subsequent volcanic eruption.	Kū ka ʻikena o nā pali kūnihi ma ka lihi o ka ʻanemoku palaha ma Kalaupapa National Historical Park i laʻana maikaʻi o kahi i haneʻe ʻino ai ka mauna a hū hou auaneʻi ka pele.
From uka to kai (mountain to sea) Kalaupapa National Historical Park preserves and interprets some of the last remaining examples of fragile Hawaiian Island plant and animal communities found nowhere else in the world.	Mai uka a i kai, mālama a hoʻomaopopo aku ʻo Kalaupapa National Historical Park i kekahi o nā laʻana hope loa o nā kaiameaola Hawaiʻi pōhae i ʻike ʻole ʻia ma kahi ʻē o ke ao nei.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park preserves robust and diverse nearshore marine resources due to the geographic remoteness, locally restricted access, and controlled sub- sistence practices.	Mālama ʻo Kalaupapa National Historical Park i ka ikaika me ke ʻano makawalu o nā kumuwaiwai pili kai mamuli o ka mamao a kaʻawale o ia wahi, a mamuli hoʻi o ke kāohi ʻana i ka hele wale ʻana mai me nā hana e hiki ai ke hana ʻia.

 

Interpretive Themes

Interpretive themes connect park unit resources to relevant ideas, meanings, concepts, contexts, beliefs, and values. They support the desired interpretive outcome of increasing visitor understanding and appreciation of the significances of the park’s resources. Interpretive themes are based upon park purpose and significance. They provide the foundation on which the park unit’s educational and interpretive programs are based.

Interpretive Themes for Kalaupapa National Historical Park

The stories and experiences of Hansen’s disease patients can be powerfully felt and understood at Kalaupapa, where beauty, isolation, and expressions of the patients’ enduring spirit continue to offer refuge and healing from hardship, fear, and discrimination.	Hiki ke hoʻomaopopo akāka ʻia maila nā moʻolelo a me ke ola o ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale ma Kalaupapa, kahi e hoʻokanāho a hoʻōla maila ka nani, ke kaʻawale a me ke ʻano ō mau o ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale i ka pōpilikia, ka makaʻu a me ka hoʻokae.
Kalaupapa has an amplified sense of power and sacred- ness by virtue of the events, circumstances, and peoples who lived and died there. The sheer numbers of people who are buried at Kalaupapa create a sense of kuleana— the cultural responsibility to care for the bones of the ancestors. In turn, the ancestors watch over this ʻāina and protect it.	Uluhia ka mana, ka ʻihiʻihi a me ke ʻano laʻa o Kalaupapa mamuli o nā hanana, nā kūlana, a me nā kānaka i ola a hala aku i laila mai ō kikilo loa mai. ʻO ka helu nui o nā kānaka i kanu ʻia ma Kalaupapa kahi mea e ulu aʻe ai ke kuleana - ka pono e mālama i nā iwi kūpuna. A kō ia kuleana, na ia poʻe kūpuna e kiaʻi a mālama mai i ka ʻāina nei.
The stories of a thriving native Hawaiian community who lived and worked the land for over 900 years enriches our understanding of the past and establishes a continuing legacy for future generations of Hawaiians.	ʻO nā moʻolelo o ke kaiāulu ahuahu o nā kānaka Hawaiʻi i noho a mālama i ka ʻāina no 900 makahiki ka mea e māhuahua ai ke akāka o ka wā i hala, a e hoʻokino ʻia ai ka hoʻoilina kūmau no nā hanauna Hawaiʻi o mua aʻe nei.
Saint Damien, Saint Marianne, Brother Dutton, Jonathan Napela, Ambrose Hutchison and other kokua’s devotion to improving patient lives continues to inspire us today.	A hiki i kēia lā, pā ka naʻau i ke kipona aloha o Sāna Kamiano, Sāna Meleana, Kahu Dutton, Jonathan Napela, Ambrose Hutchison a me nā kōkua ʻē aʻe i molia i ke ola ma ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana i ke ola o ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale.
The architecture, landscapes, and archeology of the peninsula reflect an evolution of the settlement from barely surviving patients with Hansen’s disease at Kalawao to a highly organized medical and social community at Kalaupapa.	Hōʻike nā hale, nā ʻikena, a me nā koena huʻea o kēia ʻanemoku i ka loli ʻana aʻe o ka nohona mai kahi i ola māhunehune ai ka poʻe maʻi ma Kalawao a i kaiāulu i kūkulu pono ʻia maila no ka hoʻōla kanaka ma Kalaupapa.
Perceived today as a scenic Hawaiian paradise, Molokai’s dramatic North Shore Cliffs and flat Kalaupapa peninsula are the result of numerous geologic forces still at work throughout the Pacific archipelagos. These geologic fea- tures created a natural prison for isolating people with Hansen’s disease.	ʻIke ʻia i kēia lā ma ke ʻano he palekaiko Hawaiʻi nani loa, he hopena nā pali o Molokaʻi a me ka ʻanemoku ʻo Kalaupapa a nā hana honua e noke mau nei ma nā pae moku Pākīpika. Ua kū nō nā hiʻona o ia ʻāina ma ke ʻano he wahi no ka hoʻopale ʻana aku i ka poʻe maʻi hoʻokaʻawale.
Kalaupapa’s plant and animal communities, including the seabird colonies and Loulu (Pritchardia hillebrandii) forest, hearken back to the pre-contact condition of the Hawaiian Islands. The rarity of these surviving fragile populations is a reminder of how much has been lost.	Kuhikuhi maila nā kaiameaola o Kalaupapa, pū no me nā kaiāulu manu kai me ka ulu Loulu, i ke kūlana o kēia pae ʻāina ma mua o ka pili mau ʻana me ko waho. Hōʻike ʻike a hoʻomanaʻo ihola ke ʻano kākaʻikahi o kēia mau kaiameaola pōhae i ka nui o nā mea i lilo a nalo loa aku.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park’s unique and thriving reef environment reminds us of what these areas were once like throughout Hawaiʻi, and it serves as a potential source of replenishment for degraded reef systems around the islands.	Ulu a māhuahua ka ʻāpapa o Kalaupapa National Historical Park, e hōʻike ana i ke ʻano i laha wale i ke au i hala a puni nā moku, a e kū ana paha i kumuwaiwai e hoʻoulu hou ai i nā ʻāpapa i hōʻino ʻia ma ka pae ʻāina.

 

Fundamental Resources and Values

Fundamental resources and values are the most important elements, ideas, or concepts to be communicated to the public about a park unit. They warrant primary consideration during planning and management because they are critical to achieving the park’s purpose and maintaining its significance. They provide a valuable focus throughout the planning process and the life of the plan and may include systems, processes, features, visitor experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, or other resources and values. They are the reasons for data collection, planning issues, management prescriptions, impact assessments, and value analyses.

Patients

The patients past and present, represented through their stories, traditions, and memorabilia, are some of the park’s most valuable resources. Their presence at Kalaupapa can be experienced through the physical resources that remind us of them and the intangible feelings of their presence and spirit that impart a sense of sacredness to Kalaupapa. The stories of ʻohana who were left behind are equally compelling and offer lessons in forgiveness, love, hope, inspiration, and the perseverance of human spirit.

Kamaʻāina

In this context, kamaʻāina were the original native Hawaiian inhabitants of Kalaupapa prior to the Hansen’s disease era. The kamaʻāina story is represented throughout the archeological resources and cultural landscapes by the wahi pana (storied places), wahi kapu (sacred sites) and the physical remains and material culture left on the landscape. Due to its physical isolation and lack of modern development on the peninsula, Kalaupapa is one of the most intact archeological complexes in Hawai‘i.

Saint Damien, Saint Marianne, Brother Dutton, and Kōkua (patient helpers) – Their Work with Hansen’s Disease Patients

The renowned work by Saint Damien de Veuster, Saint Marianne Cope, Brother Dutton, Jonathan Napela, and Ambrose Hutchison, and other kokua to care for those afflicted with Hansen’s disease are represented in stories, museum collections, and sites and structures at Kalaupapa (such as St. Philo- mena Church and cemetery, Bishop Home for Girls, Baldwin Home for Boys, Saint Damien’s gravesite and monuments, Gravesite of Saint Marianne, and Gravesite of Brother Dutton).

Stories, Oral Histories, and Mana

Preserving and sharing the stories of those who lived, died, and are buried at Kalaupapa, also preserves their spirits, adding depth and dimension to the greater story to be told. The pervading presence of spirits can be felt and wit- nessed by visitors and residents alike and are a testament to the special sacred- ness and mana of Kalaupapa.

Native Hawaiian Traditional Cultural Use

The park supports Native Hawaiian practices for perpetuating traditional knowledge, practicing mālama ʻāina — sound resource management principles — and strengthening cultural and spiritual connections to Kalaupapa.

Historic Buildings, Structures, Cultural Landscape, and Archeological Features Associated with the Hansen’s Disease Settlement

Kalaupapa NHP includes historic buildings, structures, cultural landscapes and archeological features associated with the Hansen’s disease settlement dating from 1869 to the present, most of which contribute to the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement National Historic Landmark.

Museum Collections

The park maintains over 200,000 museum objects and archival materials that document Kalaupapa’s culture, history, and natural resources.

Educational Values

The park provides opportunities to learn and be inspired by Kalaupapa’s Hawaiian history, the Hansen’s disease patients’ experiences, and Kalaupapa’s range of resources, all of which add to the body of medical, social science, and Hawai‘i’s ecological research. The park provides extensive opportunities for collaborative management efforts and future research opportunities.

Geological Features and Unobstructed Viewshed

The scenic North Shore Cliffs are designated as a national natural landmark. The cliffs provide evidence of the massive landslide that spread underwater nearly 100 miles northward and shaped the island of Molokai. The peninsula from Kauhakō Crater Lake (one of the deepest volcanically formed lakes in the world) to lava caves provides evidence of the volcanic eruption that formed Kalaupapa approximately 300,000 years ago. The unobstructed viewshed includes sweeping panoramic views from the steep cliffs to the settlement and the majestic Pacific Ocean beyond.

Soundscapes and Dark Night Skies

The general ambient quiet and the presence of dark night skies maintain Kalau- papa’s sense of place, historic setting, and feeling of isolation.

Terrestrial Ecosystem

Kalaupapa NHP’s montane wet forest, coastal salt spray/strand vegetation, and remnant dryland forest are outstanding elements that form the terrestrial eco- system. The montane wet forest within the Puʻu Aliʻi Natural Area Reserve has received the State of Hawai‘i’s highest conservation designation. The coastal spray/strand community along the east coast of the Kalaupapa peninsula is considered the best in all of Hawai‘i by virtue of its lack of development. While the dryland forest on the rim of the Kauhakō Crater is in poor condition, it is considered the last remnant of a low elevation windward dryland forest. Two offshore islets (ʻŌkala and Huelo) are designated Sea Bird Sanctuaries and also serve as a source of rare plant propagules for restoration activities.

Marine Ecosystem

The park contains a moderate diversity of marine species, some of which are rare in the main Hawaiian Islands, including one of the most active pupping areas for endangered Monk seals (īlio holo i ka uaua). The algae (limu), corals (ko‘ako‘a), and other invertebrates are mostly intact with few invasive species. The nearshore fish communities are some of the healthiest in the main Hawai- ian Islands with high biomass and a full complement of predators and other trophic groups. The park is one of the most spectacular examples in Hawaiʻi of a large underwater volcanic boulder habitat, providing refuge and spawning areas for the abundant reef life.

Waikolu Stream

The perennial Waikolu Stream, eligible for wild and scenic river designation, is one of the few remaining freshwater streams in Hawaiʻi supporting all five of the endemic freshwater fish and associated invertebrate species.

Other Important Resources and Values

Molokai Light Station National Register District

The Molokai Light Station Historic District includes the 138-foot lighthouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places and its period of significnce spans the time period between 1908 and 1957. It is significant for its architec- ture and association with maritime history, transportation, commerce, and social history.

 

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments

This section describes the unique management structure of Kalaupapa National Historical Park and includes information about management authority, jurisdiction, landownership, designations and protected areas, special mandates, and cooperative agreements.

Management Authority and Jurisdiction

Kalaupapa National Historical Park differs significantly from most other national parks in that almost all of the 8,720 acres of land, 2,060 acres of submerged and offshore lands, and improvements within the authorized boundary may remain in nonfederal ownership to be managed by the National Park Service through cooperative agreements. This section describes landownership, special designations and protected areas within the park, special mandates, and cooperative agreements that are unique to Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

Landownership

The National Park Service (NPS) owns 22.88 acres in which the light house, as well as the Molokai Light Station, two historic houses, and four outbuildings are located.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) owns 1,290 acres within the park boundary. The current 50-year lease between the National Park Service and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (which could be renewed in 2041) encumbers only the 1,247-acre parcel and does not include the 43 acres at Pālāʻau State Park, which lies outside of Kalawao County.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) owns 9,394 acres within the park. The National Park Service has a cooperative agreement with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to administer some of these lands. Most Department of Land and Natural Resources land is zoned Conservation — with 1,541 acres in the Molokai Forest Reserve (not administered by the National Park Service) and 2,060 acres of submerged and offshore lands including 60 acres surrounding Nihoa. The application of the Conservation zone indicates that the state has imposed development restrictions on the land to conserve, protect, or preserve important natural resources in those areas.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (DOT) owns 42.2 acres at the tip of the peninsula. This area encompasses the airport runway and adjacent lands. The Department of Transportation owns the structures at the airport facility including the terminal and three storage/maintenance buildings.

R. W. Meyer, Ltd., owns 72 acres at the top of the pali east of Pālāʻau State Park.

Designations and Protected Areas

Within Kalaupapa National Historic Park are a number or geographical areas that have special designations and are administered by different agencies. These areas are listed in the following table and described in detail in this section.

Designations and Protected Areas in Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Designation	Date	Designator	Total Area of Designation (acres)	Area of Designation Within Park (acres)
Molokai Forest Reserve	1903	Territorial Government of Hawai'i	1,541	1,541
National Natural Landmark	1972	Secretary of the Interior	27,100	5,085
National Historic Landmark	1976	Secretary of the Interior	15,645	10,674
Seabird Sanctuaries on 'Ōkala and Huelo Islands	1981	State of Hawai'i, DLNR	9	9
Pu'u Ali'i Natural Area Reserve	1985	State of Hawai'i, Governor	1,330	1,330

Molokai Forest Reserve

The Forest Reserve System was created by the Territorial Government of Hawai‘i through Act 44 on April 25, 1903. With Hawai‘i’s increase in population, expanding ranching industry, and extensive agricultural production of sugarcane and later pineapple, early territorial foresters recognized the need to protect uka (upland) forests to provide the necessary water requirements for the lowland agricultural demands and surrounding communities. Within Kalawao County, approximately 1,541 acres contain the uka areas of the ahupuaʻa of Makanalua and Kalawao and are designated as Molokai Forest Reserve. The Forest Reserve is located above the 500-foot contour and serves as a public hunting area. With its inception, the Forest Reserve System represented a public-private partnership to protect and enhance important forested uka lands for their abundance of public benefits and values. Today the tradition is carried on by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) for public Forest Reserve lands. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife focuses its resources to protect, manage, restore, and monitor the natural resources of the Forest Reserve System.

National Natural Landmark

The North Shore Cliffs were designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1972. The landmark includes 27,100 acres located along 17 miles of the northeast coast between the villages of Kalaupapa and Halawa. Approximately, one fifth (5,085 acres) of the landmark is located within Kalaupapa National Historical Park. The North Shore Cliffs represent the major episode of volcanism that created Molokai, which is among the most ancient in the Hawaiian Island chain. The North Shore Cliffs and adjacent valleys and uplands are “scenically majestic and scientifically important. The physical features of Molokai, including the North Shore Cliffs, are considered to be of prime importance to geologists in piecing together the story of how the Hawaiian Islands were formed.”

National Historic Landmark

On January 7, 1976, the “Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement” was designated a National Historic Landmark and subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR #76002415). It includes 15,645 acres of land and waters, an area significantly larger than the boundary of Kalaupapa National Historic Park. The national historic landmark has a marine boundary that extends 0.93 miles offshore to include Mōkapu Island creating a marine area of 7,031 acres, approximately 4,971 acres larger than current park marine area of 2,060 acres.

The Kalaupapa and Kalawao settlements are historically significant as the first Hansen’s disease (leprosy) colony in American history. The national historic landmark nomination identifies the areas of significance for the settlement as prehistoric archeology, historic archeology, architecture, community planning, religion, and social/humanitarian activity. The period of significance begins in 1866 when the first people afflicted with Hansen’s disease arrived at Kalaupapa and continues to the present.

In 2004, a condition update for the National Historic Landmark Program determined the status of the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement National Historic Landmark as “Threatened” due to pest infestations impacting historic structures, deferred maintenance, and lack of funding to maintain the numerous physical resources that contribute to its significance.

An update to the national historic landmark nomination for the settlement is in progress.

Seabird Sanctuaries

On April 30, 1981, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources amended its rules regulating wildlife sanctuaries to include ‘Ōkala and Huelo Islands, located offshore of Waikolu Valley, Kalawao, Molokai. The purpose of the rules is to conserve, manage, and protect indigenous wildlife in sanctuaries. These rules include prohibited entry, landing, etc., and the removal, disturbance, injury, killing, or possession of any form of plant or wildlife (Department of Land and Natural Resources, Title 13, Subtitle 5, Part 2, Capture 125).

Pu‘u Ali‘i Natural Area Reserve

Hawaiʻi’s natural resources include geological and volcanological features and distinctive marine and terrestrial plants and animals, many of which occur nowhere else in the world.

In 1970, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature expressed the need to protect and preserve the state’s unique natural resources, both for the enjoyment of future generations and to provide baseline data to evaluate the impact of environmental changes occurring in the state. The statewide Natural Area Reserve System was therefore established to preserve in perpetuity specific land and water areas that support relatively unmodified communities of natural flora and fauna,
as well as geological sites. The Natural Area Reserves System is administered by the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The system presently consists of 19 reserves on five islands, encompassing more than 109,000 acres of the state›s most unique ecosystems. One of these areas, Pu‘u Ali‘i, is located within Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

The Pu‘u Ali‘i Natural Area Reserve, established in 1985, encompasses 1,330 acres in the southeast corner of the park between Pelekunu and Waikolu Valleys. Elevations in the reserve range from 2,250 feet at the top of the sea cliffs on the northern edge to 4,222 feet at the summit of Pu‘u Ali‘i. The Pu‘u Ali‘i NAR is divided into two management units— the North and South Units. The South Unit is fenced and encloses approximately 640 acres in the higher elevation part of the reserve, whereas the North Unit is protected by two strategic fences making up the remaining 690 acres in the lower part of the reserve. The reserve is bordered on the south by the Kamakou Preserve, which is managed by the Nature Conservancy.

 

Special Mandates

Administration

With the approval of the owner, the Secretary of the Interior may undertake critical or emergency stabilization of utilities and historic structures, develop and occupy temporary office space, and conduct interim interpretative and visitor services on nonfederal property within the park. The original intent of this statement was to provide the NPS with the interim authority to spend federal funds until cooperative agreements were approved (Public Law 96- 565, Sec. 105, December 22, 1980).

Authorization of Appropriated Funds

Effective October 1, 1981, there are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title but not to exceed $2,500,000 for acquisition of lands and interests in lands and $1,000,000 for development (Public Law 96-565, Sec. 110, December 22, 1980).

Hawaiʻi Department of Health

Pursuant to HRS §326-34b, the county of Kalawao is governed by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, including those specific regulations relating to the care and treatment of persons affected with Hansen’s disease, except as otherwise provided by law. Cooperative Agreement CA8896-4-0001, Modification: 0001, dated March 30, 1984 and extended April 1, 2004 for 20 years.

Hansen’s Disease Patients

Health care for the patients shall continue to be provided by the State of Hawaiʻi, with assistance from federal programs other than those authorized herein. Patients shall continue to have the right to take and utilize fish and wildlife resources without regard to federal fish and game laws and regulations. Patients shall continue to have the right to take and utilize plant and other natural resources for traditional purposes in accordance with applicable state and federal laws (Public Law 96-565, Sec. 106, December 22, 1980).

Kalaupapa Memorial

The Secretary of the Interior shall authorize Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, a nonprofit organization consisting of patient residents at Kalaupapa National Historical Park and their family members and friends, to establish a memorial at a suitable location or locations approved by the Secretary at Kalawao or Kalaupapa within the boundaries of Kalaupapa National Historical Park to honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa peninsula from 1866 to 1969 (H.R.410 Kalaupapa Memorial Act 2009).

Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission

The Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission was established on December 22, 1980, for a duration of 45 years (Public Law 96-565, Sec. 108, December 22, 1980, Public Law 109-54. Sec. 128, August 2, 2005).

Land Acquisition

Lands owned by the State of Hawai‘i or a political subdivision can be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior only through donation or exchange and only with the consent of the owner.

Privately owned lands within the boundary of the park can be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. The Secretary of the Interior can acquire lands, waters, and interests by any methods, except by condemnation, within the State of Hawaiʻi for the conveyance and exchange of lands,
waters, and interests within the Kalaupapa National Historical Park boundary owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (Public Law 96–565, Sec. 104, December 22, 1980).

Land Lease from Hawaiian Home Lands

Pursuant to Public Law 100-202, dated December 22, 1987, on September 22, 1992, the National Park Service entered into a lease for 1,247 acres with the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for 50 years beginning on July 15, 1991, to July 14, 2041. The current lease agreement only covers land within Kalawao county and does not include the 43 acres at Pālā‘au State Park. The leased area contains the western part of the peninsula, including the entire Kalaupapa Settlement, sea cliffs, and trail to topside. The National Park Service is obligated to pay rent annually for use and operations on the premises (General Lease No. 231, September 22, 1992, Tax Map Key No. 6-1-01:01).

Patient and Native Hawaiian Staffing

Preservation and interpretation of the settlement will be managed and performed by patients and native Hawaiians to the extent practical. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall give first preference to qualified patients and native Hawaiians in making appointments to positions established for the administration of the park, and the appointment of patients and native Hawaiians shall be without regard to any provision of the federal civil service laws. The Secretary shall provide patients a first right of refusal to provide revenue–producing visitor services, including such services as providing food, accommodations, transportation, tours, and guides. In its lease with the National Park Service, The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has reserved the authority to give native Hawaiians a “second right of refusal” to provide revenue-producing visitor services for the areas of the park covered by the lease. Training opportunities shall be provided to patients and native Hawaiians in management and interpretation of the settlement’s culture, historical, educational, and scenic resources (Public Law 96-565, Secs. 102, 107, December 22, 1980; General Lease No. 231, September 22, 1992).

Patient Community

The Kalaupapa Hansen’s disease patients are guaranteed a well-maintained community, and they may remain at Kalaupapa for as long as they wish. The current lifestyle of these patients and their individual privacy will be protected (Public Law 96–565, sec. 102, December 22, 1980).

Reevaluation of Policies

When there is no longer a resident patient community at Kalaupapa, the Secretary of the Interior shall reevaluate the policies governing the management, administration, and public use of the park in order to identify any changes deemed appropriate (Public Law 96–565, sec. 109, December 22, 1980).

Religious Structures

The Secretary may stabilize and rehabilitate structures and other properties used for religious or sectarian purposes only if such properties constitute a substantial and integral part of the historical fabric of the Kalaupapa Settlement and only to the extent necessary and appropriate to interpret adequately the nationally significant historical features and events of the settlement for the benefit of the public (Public Law 96–565, sec. 105, December 22, 1980).

Visitation

Kalaupapa National Historical Park will provide for limited visitation by the general public. So long as the patients may direct, the Secretary of the Interior shall not permit public visitation to the settlement in excess of 100 persons in any one day (Public Law 96–565, secs. 102, 106, December 22, 1980).

U.S. Coast Guard

In 1980, the U.S. Coast Guard transferred 23 acres around the Molokai Light Station to the National Park Service. In 2006, the U.S. Coast Guard transferred the Molokai Light Station to the National Park Service, under the General Services Administration, but the U.S. Coast Guard continues to maintain the lens within the lighthouse and the historic lens.

 

Long-Term Agreements

The Secretary of the Interior shall seek and may enter into cooperative agreements with the owners of property within the park pursuant to which the Secretary may preserve, protect, maintain, construct, reconstruct, develop, improve, and interpret sites, facilities, and resources of historic, natural, architectural, and cultural significance. Cooperative agreements shall be
of not less than 20 years duration and may be extended and amended by mutual agreement. Cooperative agreements shall include, without limitation, provisions that the Secretary shall have the right of access at reasonable times to public parts of the property for interpretive and other purposes. No changes or alterations shall be made in the property except by mutual agreement (Public Law 96–565, sec. 105, December 22, 1980).

Each agreement shall provide that the owner shall be liable to the United States in an amount equal to the fair market value of any capital improvements made to or placed on the property in the event the agreement is terminated prior to its natural expiration or any extension thereof. The Secretary is permitted to remove such capital improvements within a reasonable time of termination of the cooperative agreement. Upon expiration of the agreement, the
improvements thereon shall become the property of the owner, unless the United States desires to remove such capital improvements and restore the property to its natural state within a reasonable time for such expiration. Except for emergency, temporary, and interim activity, no funds shall be expended on nonfederal property unless such expenditure is pursuant to a cooperative agreement with the owner (Public Law 96–565, sec. 105, December 22, 1980). The lease and agreements are shown in the table below.

Long-term Lease, Agreements, and Memorandum of Understanding, Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Partner	Instrument	Effective Term	Term (years)
State of Hawai'i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands	General Lease	July 15, 1991-July 14, 2041	50
Hawai'i Conference Foundation	Cooperative Agreement	Set. 27, 2003-Sept. 26, 2023	20
State of Hawai'i Department of Health	Cooperative agreement	April 1, 2004–March 31, 2024	20
Catholic Church	Cooperative agreement	Aug. 23, 2004- Aug. 22, 2034	20
State of Hawai'i Department of Transportation	Cooperative agreement	Expired March 9, 2007; new agreement is in development.	20
State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources	Cooperative agreement	Sept. 15, 2009–Sept. 14, 2029	20
R. W. Meyer, Ltd.	Memorandum of understanding	April 27, 2012–April 26, 2017	5

Board of Land and Natural Resources

On August 16, 1989, the National Park Service entered into a cooperative agreement with the State of Hawaiʻi, Board of Land and Natural Resources, for 20 years, entitled “Preservation of Natural and Cultural Resources, Kalaupapa.” The area under this cooperative agreement includes 1,330 acres of Kalawao County, within the boundary of the park, that have been established by the Governor’s Executive Order as the Pu‘u Ali‘i Natural Area Reserve. Other areas of Kalawao County have been designated as forest reservations under the care and control of the board. The area also includes 78 acres of land at Nihoa and parts of Pālāʻau State Park. The agreement authorizes the National Park Service and the Department of Natural Resources to engage in shared resource management activities in the area covered by the agreement. The National Park Service agrees to protect and preserve archeological sites, native ecosystems, threatened and endangered species, and water and air quality, and to conduct research and prepare plans for management, operations, preservation, and interpretation of these resources (Cooperative Agreement No: CA 8896-9-8004, August 16, 1989, renewed as Cooperative Agreement No. H8896090017 renewed for 20 years, September 15, 2009).

Department of Health

On April 1, 2004, the National Park Service renewed its cooperative agreement with the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Health, entitled “Preservation of Historic Structures, Kalaupapa,” for an additional 20 years. Under the agreement, the National Park Service agreed to maintain utilities, roads, and nonmedical patient functions and maintenance of historic structures within the park, and the Department of Health at Kalaupapa agreed to provide food, housing, health care, and social services for the patient community. The Department of Health is also responsible for issuing visitor access permits and managing the landfill. Since 1980, infrastructure responsibilities within the settlement have been shared between the Department of Health and the National Park Service. Some of the Department of Health’s major infrastructure responsibilities have been transferred to the National Park Service in anticipation of the Department of Health’s future departure. The Department of Health may transfer ownership of historic structures to the National Park Service by mutual agreement at any time (Cooperative Agreement No. CA 8896-4-0001, dated March 30, 1984, and renewed as modification-0001, dated April 1, 2004).

Department of Transportation

On March 9, 1987, the National Park Service entered into a cooperative agreement with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Transportation to coordinate operation and utilities for twenty years, entitled “Preservation of Natural and Cultural Resources, Kalaupapa.” The National Park Service agrees to assist in the preservation, protection, rehabilitation, restoration, interpretation, maintenance, and project planning regarding buildings and cultural features located on airport grounds (Cooperative Agreement No: CA 8896-7-8005, March 9, 1987). An update to the agreement is underway.

R. W. Meyer, Limited

Seventy-two acres in the southwest corner of the park near the Kalaupapa Trailhead are privately owned by R. W. Meyer, Ltd. The park maintains a memorandum of understanding with R. W. Meyer, Ltd., for trail access, maintenance, and the planting of native plants (dated May 5, 2017, for five years).

East Molokai Watershed Partnership

Kalaupapa National Historical Park entered into a memorandum of understanding with the East Molokai Watershed Partnership when it was formed in 1999 and updated in 2003 to protect the best remaining native forest watershed areas on the East Molokai Mountains.

Key strategies employed by the partnership include reduction of feral animal populations; monitoring systems that help guide and document management actions; community outreach that engages, educates, and gains support of the local communities; continual development of the partnership through fundraising, capacity building, and landowner expansion; and involvement with fire (Molokai Fire Task Force) and island invasive species efforts (Molokai subcommittee of the Maui Invasive Species Committee). Land-based partners include Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, Kamalo Ahupua‘a (3,566 acres); Kapualei Ranch, Kapualei Ahupua‘a (1,680 acres); Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association, Kawela Ahupua’a (5,500 acres); State of Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Pu‘u Ali‘i (1,330 acres) and Olokui (1,620 acres) Natural Area Reserves; National Park Service, Kalaupapa National Historical Park (10,800 acres); and The Nature Conservancy, Kamakou (2,774 acres) and Pelekunu Preserves (5,714 acres). Agency partners include Ke Aupuni Lokahi, Enterprise Community Governance Board (community, funder); Maui County (funder); Molokai / Lānaʻi Soil and Water Conservation District (technical assistance); U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Services (technical assistance, funder); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (technical assistance, funder); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (technical assistance); U.S. Geological Services (technical assistance); and the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health (technical assistance, funder).

Hawaiʻi Conference Foundation

As part of the renewal of the cooperative agreement, a general agreement was executed between Hawaiʻi Conference Foundation and the National Park Service. This agreement allows for Hawaiʻi Conference Foundation and the Kana‘ana Hou and Siloama congregations to continue using the Hale Kahu structure and Wilcox Parish Hall. Both of these buildings are state-owned and eventually will be transferred to the National Park Service. The agreement also permits use of the buildings and grounds for up to 15 persons to participate in retreats. (Cooperative Agreement No. CA 8000-83, dated Sept. 26, 1983, and renewed as modification-0001, dated Sept. 27, 2003).

Roman Catholic Church in State of Hawaiʻi

On August 23, 2004, the National Park Service renewed its cooperative agreement with the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawai‘i, entitled “Preservation of Historic Structures, Kalaupapa,” for an additional 20 years. The National Park Service agreed to assist with the maintenance and operation of the St. Philomena’s and St. Francis Churches and the St. Elizabeth Chapel (Cooperative Agreement No. CA8896-4-0003, dated 22 Aug. 1984 and renewed as modification-0001, dated Aug. 23, 2004).

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The church and parish hall of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are privately owned by the church. No agreement exists with the church; however, the church contacted the National Park Service in February 2012 and expressed a strong desire to enter into a cooperative agreement.

Americans of Japanese Ancestry

The AJA Buddhist Hall and Outbuilding are owned by Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJA) Buddhist sect. The organization is a nonprofit organization. It was determined that a cooperative agreement is unnecessary at this time.