4/29/26 – PUBLIC INVITED TO REVIEW DRAFT STATEWIDE PRESERVATION PLAN
Posted on Apr 29, 2026 in News Releases, slider, State Historic Preservation Division| JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR |
RYAN KANAKAʻOLE
ACTING CHAIRPERSON |
PUBLIC INVITED TO REVIEW DRAFT STATEWIDE PRESERVATION PLAN
Papahana Kāʻeuʻeu: Hawaiʻi’s Plan for Living Heritage Stewardship (2026–2034)
HONOLULU – The State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) today opened a 30-day public review period for the draft Statewide Historic Preservation Plan, Papahana Kāʻeuʻeu: Hawaiʻi’s Plan for Living Heritage Stewardship. The plan will guide how the state, county agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations and communities work together to identify, protect and steward Hawaiʻi’s historic and cultural resources from 2026 through 2034.
The draft plan reflects the statewide public input conducted in 2022 and 2025, including public meetings in 2022, responses from 297 community members through a statewide survey and ten facilitated virtual focus groups representing Native Hawaiian organizations, Island Burial Councils, cultural practitioners, preservation professionals, government agencies and community stakeholders. The plan responds to what the public said matters most: prioritizing Native Hawaiian cultural heritage, protecting iwi kūpuna and burial sites, improving early consultation, integrating preservation into planning, and strengthening community-based stewardship.
During the 30-day review period, members of the public are invited to read the draft plan and provide written comments on its goals, objectives and proposed actions.
How to participate
- Read the draft plan: The full document is available at hawaiipreservationplan.com.
- Submit written comments: Use the comment form on the project website.
- Attend a public information session: Virtual sessions will be hosted during the review window. Additionally, opportunities for public comment will be available at county cultural resource commission meetings and during the May 15 Hawaiʻi Historic Places Review Board meeting. Dates, times and registration links are posted on the project website.
All comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on May 29, 2026, to be considered in the final draft.
“Over the past three years SHPD has initiated an extensive outreach effort to receive input from a broad cross section of our community. This truly is our state’s plan,” said SHPD Administrator Jessica Puff. “Its success depends on partnerships across state and county agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations and communities. The 30-day review is the public’s last formal opportunity to influence the document before it goes to the National Park Service for review.”
Statewide historic preservation planning is required under the National Historic Preservation Act and Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 6E-3(5). Once finalized, Papahana Kāʻeuʻeu will serve as the framework for the state’s historic preservation efforts.
For more information, to read the draft Plan, or to submit comments, visit www.hawaiipreservationplan.com
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RESOURCES
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
Photographs – SHPD Preservation Plan (December 21, 2021):
Media contact:
Andrew Laurence
Communications Director
State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources
E-mail: [email protected]
