Hawaii One Step Closer to Issuing $40M in GOs to Preserve Turtle Bay

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LOS ANGELES — Hawaii officials reached an agreement last week on a conversation easement for 665.8 acres of land at Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku that will be funded primarily with $40 million in general obligation bonds.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced the agreement during a press conference involving City and County of Honolulu officials, the Trust for Public Land and Turtle Bay Resort.

Portions of the land had been planned for development, but will now be protected forever from future development, according to an Abercrombie statement.

"As I said in my State of the State Address this year, 'there are times for planning, and there are times for acting; now is the time to preserve open spaces at Turtle Bay,'" Abercrombie said April 17. "This historic agreement is the result of public and private interests joining together to benefit the people of Hawaii and our visitors."

State Sen. Clayton Hee said: "As elected leaders, we have a profound and solemn duty and responsibility to preserve and protect this shoreline for future generations just as our ancestors did before us," Hee said.

The conservation easement permanently limits land use on this segment of Oahu's North Shore.

TBR will continue to own, use and hold title to the land, but it and future owners of the land will be bound by the restrictions, according to the governor's office. The easement will protect, and in many cases, allow restoration of critical marine and land ecosystems and Hawaiian cultural resources. Recreational and educational uses of the land would still be allowed.

The total value of this agreement is $48.5 million; $40 million will be provided by the state, $5 million will be provided by the city, and $3.5 million will be provided by The Trust for Public Land. The amounts of money provided by the state and the city are subject to appropriation and release of the funds. Abercrombie, who included the state's portion in his supplemental budget, encouraged the legislature to appropriate $40 million in general obligation bonds. The City Council has already approved $5 million. The Trust for Public Land will be obtaining funds from various sources. The final documents and details of the agreement are pending.

"We are excited to be a part of the stewardship to protect these natural resources and to secure forever the public's access to that entire shoreline from Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point," Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a statement. "The work is not yet complete, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

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