Community members rally to protect public access through NELHA. (Special to Hawaii 24/7)
Kohanaiki Ohana representatives Nita Pilago and Karen Eoff have contacted Sen. Josh Green about the permanent closure by NELHA of the lateral jeep trail access gate between the NELHA property and Ooma II/Kohanaiki.
The following is an excerpt from that letter:
… it is our understanding that they (NELHA) are still planning to permanently lock the gate on the “jeep trail†along the shoreline between the State land and the Ooma property.  This gate has historically provided access along the shoreline and was opened and shut at hours consistent with the other gates to the property.  The plan to permanently lock it will not only inhibit traditional and customary access rights, but also cause safety issues along Queen Kaahumanu Highway, if all the beachgoers are forced to use the new Kohanaiki access road as the only way in and out of the area.
As you know, the Kohanaiki Ohana is a 501(c)(3) non profit community group whose mission, since 1990, has been to protect our natural and cultural resources and the rights of all people to access the shoreline for fishing, surfing, subsistence gathering, and recreation. Our focus has been along the coastline from NELHA/OTEC, through Ooma, Kohanaiki to the National Park at Kaloko.
Mahalo to those who showed up yesterday to put pressure on NELHA officials to provide continued (and improved) public access to and through the NELHA property.
Special thanks to Colleen Sullivan for her commitment to sign wave at the NELHA gate as a way to take a stand and help educate the public on this issue. And to ex-councilman Angel Pilago for being there as well. This is yet another way in which he has continued to be a champion of fair public access to Public Trust resources, especially along the O`oma/Kohanaiki coastline.
More yet to come on the NELHA issue.