Kauaʻi Historic Preservation Board

Kauaʻi Historic Preservation Board
Name	Kauaʻi Historic Preservation Board
Formation	1970s
Type	Advisory body
Headquarters	Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi
Region served	Kauaʻi County
Parent organization	State Historic Preservation Division

Kauaʻi Historic Preservation Board is a county-level advisory body responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recommending protection for historic and cultural resources on Kauaʻi in the Hawaii archipelago. It operates within the administrative framework established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the Hawaii Register of Historic Places, and county ordinances, advising elected officials in Kauaʻi County on matters affecting archaeological sites, wahi kapu, and built heritage associated with figures such as King Kamehameha I, Queen Emma, and events like the Missionary period. The board interacts with federal programs such as the National Register of Historic Places and with institutions including the Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and the Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division.

History

The board traces origins to preservation movements in the 1970s influenced by national actions including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and local responses to land use disputes involving sites like the Hanalei Pier and sugar plantation landscapes tied to Samuel Wilder King. Early activity reflected tensions among stakeholders represented by organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce, and the Kōloa Sugar Company as development pressures from the Hawaiian Renaissance and tourism expansion intersected with archaeological discoveries at places linked to voyagers like Chief Kaumualiʻi. Over subsequent decades the board adapted procedures modeled on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to address evolving statutory frameworks including amendments to the Hawaii Historic Preservation Act and coordination with federal agencies such as the National Park Service.

Organization and Governance

The board is a quasi-independent advisory commission appointed under county code by officials including the Mayor of Kauaʻi and confirmed by the Kauaʻi County Council. Membership criteria draw from professional domains represented by the American Institute of Architects, Society for American Archaeology, and cultural authorities such as representatives of Native Hawaiian cultural organizations and ʻohana connected to aliʻi lineages like Hōkūpaʻa. Meetings follow open meetings requirements similar to the Hawaii Sunshine Law and coordinate with the Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division for technical review. Board responsibilities intersect with advisory bodies such as the Kauaʻi Planning Commission and conservation entities like the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Responsibilities and Programs

Statutory responsibilities include survey and inventory of sites for nomination to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places, review of National Environmental Policy Act-related cultural assessments, and issuance of recommendations for certificate of appropriateness under county landmarks ordinances. Programs emphasize archaeological permitting aligned with standards from the Society for American Archaeology and cultural landscape documentation reflecting methodologies used by the World Monuments Fund. Educational initiatives have partnered with the Kauaʻi Community College, the Kauaʻi Historical Society, and school programs like those of Kapaʻa High School to integrate preservation into curricula and workforce training for disciplines such as historic masonry and vernacular architecture conservation associated with plantation complexes like Kōloa Missionary Church.

Notable Preservation Projects

The board has advised on nominations and treatment of landmarks including the Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum, the Kīlauea Lighthouse, and the Old Kōloa Town district, as well as archaeological site complexes in valleys such as Wailua River Valley and historic irrigation systems tied to ʻāina stewardship at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. It engaged with restoration efforts for structures associated with the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company and assisted archaeological monitoring for infrastructure projects affecting heiau and burial sites linked to aliʻi like Kaumualii. The board’s recommendations have influenced adaptive reuse projects at historic wharves, plantation manager’s residences, and mission-era buildings recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

The board maintains partnerships with cultural practitioners from organizations including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Kauaʻi Museum, and Hawaiian civic clubs such as the Kauaʻi Hawaiian Civic Club. Collaborative projects have involved Nā Aikāne o Kauaʻi, the Kauaʻi Historical Society, and volunteer programs with the AmeriCorps network. Public outreach uses forums similar to community planning meetings held by the Kauaʻi County Council and joint workshops with the Bishop Museum and National Park Service to address interpretive planning for sites like the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge and Wailua Complex National Historical Landmark. The board consults kūpuna and cultural practitioners for protocol around wahi kapu and wahi pana in alignment with practices observed by Kamehameha Schools cultural programs.

Funding and Legal Authority

Funding streams derive from county budgets approved by the Kauaʻi County Council, grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, matching funds from the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division, and federal programs administered by the National Park Service such as Historic Preservation Fund grants. Legal authority rests on county ordinances and enabling statutes that require coordination with state laws such as the Hawaii Revised Statutes provisions governing historic preservation, as well as compliance with federal statutes including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act when applicable to cultural remains. The board’s advisory status shapes outcomes through recommendations incorporated into permits issued by agencies like the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and land-use decisions by the Kauaʻi Planning Commission.

Category:Kauaʻi