Bill to add land to
By Rod Thompson
Volcanoes National Park
wins House’s OK
Star-BulletinHILO -- Hiking from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to the sea along the Great Crack, a person passes archaeological sites going back to the 12th century, says park archaeologist Laura Schuster.
"Now they'll be protected," she said.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka announced that his bill to add 1,951 acres of private land bordering the crack to the park was approved yesterday by the House following earlier approval by the Senate.
It now goes to President Clinton, who is expected to sign it.
The Great Crack, measuring 14 miles long, 50 feet wide, and large enough to descend 60 feet into it in places, runs along much of the southwest boundary of the park.
But a triangular wedge of land at the seaward end of the crack was never included in the park.
To the eye it looks barren, Schuster said. But it contains trails, walls and even agricultural features, she said.
Fresh water seeping to the surface at the edge of the sea was used by ancient Hawaiians to grow food.
Although the ancient population of the area is unknown, missionary William Ellis, passing through the area in 1823, recorded preaching to 200 to 300 people at equally dry Kealakomo, 17 miles eastward on the coast.
The land's two miles of coastline are also prime nesting areas for hawksbill and green sea turtles, Akaka said.
But in recent decades the general area has been proposed for geothermal development and as a buffer zone for rocket launches. Most recently, the land has been owned by Hawaiian Outdoor Tours Inc., which has been offering it for sale for $3.5 million.
Wanting to acquire the land to avoid uses that would be incompatible with the park, the National Park Service proposed a two-part strategy, said park Superintendent Jim Martin.
The first was to get Congress to approve acquiring the land by way of the bill that just passed, he said.
No money was requested for fear that might influence some congressional delegates to vote against it.
Hawaii's delegates may now seek an appropriation, or the Park Service may attempt to find money in existing funds, Martin said.
The addition of 1,951 acres would increase the size of the 229,117-acre park by less than 1 percent.
The land is next to a remote part of the park which is designated as wilderness.
"The proposed acquisition would be managed as undeveloped land sharing the same wilderness qualities of natural quiet, grand vistas and solitude," Akaka said.
