Surfers Have Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

On the Hawaiian Island of Oahu lies the most recognized seven-mile stretch of surf on earth - the world famous North Shore– the “seven-mile miracle.” Quietly standing guard is the striking 400-foot high coastal bluff overlooking Pipeline and  Sunset Beach.

Photo: Sean Davey (c)

The North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) and project partner the Trust for Public Land (TPL) launched the “Campaign for Pupukea-Paumalu” last week in order to raise the final $1 million necessary to purchase and protect the 1,129 acre bluff property for the public.

 The Campaign is led by a notable group of volunteer Honorary Event Co-chairs headed by Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, Rochelle Ballard, Mark Cunningham, and Pancho Sullivan. Supporters are optimistic that other surfing business leaders and concerned individuals from around the world will soon join the effort and pay their respects to the birthplace of surfing and the contemporary surf industry.

The Campaign anticipates announcing significant progress toward the $1 million target at the 1^st Annual Recognition and Fundraiser Dinner at Waimea Valley Audubon Center on December 3, 2005.  This event is timed to coincide with the Triple Crown of Surfing's yearly presence on the North Shore.  Therefore, the plan is to have several major contribututions in place well before the December 3 event in order to properly recognize and acknowledge donors at this special gathering of the surfing world.   

NSCLT and TPL are in active negotiations with the owner, Obayashi Corporation of Japan, in order to purchase the parcel. The community is offering the resources successfully raised from Federal, State, County, and private sources. Guided by the leadership of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Honolulu City Council Chair Donovan Dela Cruz, the North Shore community, and the international environmental and water-sports communities, over $7 million has already been secured to support acquisition and protection.

Photo: Bilderback (c)

Successful protection will ensure that the forested hills you see in these photos will not be covered by up to 500 individual homes (as had been proposed by developers during the Save Sunset Beach struggle). The  North Shore community envisions a public recreational and agricultural area with world-class views, hiking trails, and room to roam for neighboring Boy and Girl Scout camps. Most importantly, protecting the land will protect the rural quality of life on the  North Shore and guarantee that the ocean and waves will be clean and free from urban type run-off and pollution.

Through positive negotiations with Obayashi, NSCLT and project partner TPL have gained confidence that the government and community support for protection will result in conservation of the property’s special resources for the benefit of the public within several months. Importantly, during Jack Johnson’s visit to the landowner this summer we learned that they want what the community wants – preservation, not development. This is great news after a 17-year effort to protect the property.

Photo: Bilderback (c)

“Opportunities to protect global treasures such as Pupukea-Paumalu come along only once in a lifetime. If we work together, this beautiful area will be preserved and enjoyed by people today and future generations,” notes Honorary Co-Chair Jack Johnson.

NSCLT has set up a special restricted savings account for all donations generated by the Campaign for Pupukea-Paumalu and all of these tax-deductible donations are designated specifically for the acquisition and protection costs for Pupukea-Paumalu.

The components of the Campaign to raise the final $1 million include the major Campaign recognition and fundraising event on December 3 at the  Waimea Valley Audubon Center  personal appeals, funding proposals to surf companies and foundations, articles and advertisements in major surf publications, accepting donations online at www.northshoreland.org as well as the sale of original artwork and prints such as the Bill Braden painting of the property that was personally delivered to the landowner in Tokyo, Japan. 

The Pupukea-Paumalu parcel of land defines the North Shore and is  the key to its future.  If everyone gives as generously as they can to NSCLT for the Campaign for Pupukea-Paumalu, the surfing community can be proud to have preserved the cultural, natural, and community resources of Pupukea-Paumalu for future generations, for the people of Hawaii, and for the people of the world. 

The North Shore Community Land Trust is a tax-exempt, non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to preserve land and natural areas on the North Shore of Oahu for the benefit of the public. For additional information, please contact Blake McElheny at 808.638.0338 or at [email protected].

Supporters can send tax-deductible contributions to NSCLT, P.O. Box 1179, Haleiwa, HI 96712 or donate online at www.northshoreland.org . 

- Blake McElheny
North Shore Community Land Trust 

Comments

[Chris Evans]

Kudos to SF and Jim for staying engaged in this decade long SF struggle. Our job isn't done until this is finished. When the strategy changed from litigation to conservation sale this effort became the most important single conservation move in the history of surfing, without a doubt.

When Blake took the riens from his Dad Larry in this we were all blessed with a tireless, humble and obviously imaginative leader in this effort. To think that we are as close as we now are in possibly purchasing for all time this critical watershed parcel (the Bay to Sunset...), is staggering to comprehend.

Please join me in making whatever small or large donation you can to the cause---- follow the above links to the NSLT site... Chris Evans

[Pierce Flynn]

Mahalo to the long lineage and ohana of surfers and North Shore lovers who have dedicated themselves to preserving the Pupukea-Paumalu land for all to enjoy. This is one of the longest joint preservation efforts in surfing history. It has involved local and visiting surfers and waterpeople, surfing clubs, environmental groups and politicians from afar. The cause has created a unifying movement for restoration and preservation that I'm sure the Hawaiian Kings and Kahunas are proud of. Let's do whatever each of us can to see this noble work completed.
Pierce Flynn

[Masuo Ueda]

Without doubt, Surfrider's network has been expanded to other areas, such as Europe, Australia, Brazil, Japan and Hawaii. As Japanese Surfrider, Pupukea-paumalu issue has been the first priority to work on. We made a successful visits to Obayashi headquarter last July with JJ who leads this campaign. We will spread this announcement to our surf society. Glad to be a bridge over the clean water.