May this be among the first of many such stories…
Mystery owner’s stunning act after buying $3.8m Hawaii beauty spot that developers have been eyeing
by Emma Richter, November 12, 2024, DailyMail.com
https://tinyurl.com/yky8hxur
The unknown male donor bought the popular Pololu Valley- a huge tourist attraction that sees 322,000 visitors a year and about 600 to 1,500 in a single day.
For years, Pololu Valley – a sacred home for the ancestors of locals – has faced overcrowding from the many visitors exploring the highly admired Pololu Trailhead.
The donor said he was inspired to buy the land and give it back to the community after he met Sarah Pule-Fujii, a Pololu Steward, who instilled the ‘sacredness and cultural importance of the Pololu Valley’ in him.
‘That interaction left a lasting impression with me and sparked my desire to help provide a solution to some of the difficulties the Pololu community was experiencing,’ the anonymous man said.
Pule-Fujii, one of Pololu’s many stewards, greets and guides visitors who come to the trailhead, while also protecting the area and its people.
In 2021, an attempt was made to build a 13-lot subdivision on the land, but after the community disagreed with the plan, Pololu Valley was listed on the market.
The donation of the 42-acre property came at a ‘pivotal time’ for the community as the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) recently published its Pololu Trailhead Management Plan, according to Steve Bergfeld, Hawaii branch manager of the agency.
The plan, spearheaded by DOFAW and the North Kohala community, was established so locals could find solutions to address the high levels of visitation on their home land.
For years locals feared that the wrong person would buy the land and decide to go through with unwanted development plans, but fortunately, the opposite occurred.
Now, the land has gone toward the management program, while the rest of it will remain undeveloped.
Just last month, the program marked its three year anniversary, as the stewards worked to rescue hikers, crack down on illegal campers and even assist in ocean rescues in Pololu Valley, according to the DLNR.
Pule-Fujii, also known as ‘Aunty’ or Trail Tutu (grandmother) to many, said that it is extremely important that everyone who visits the spot is respectful.
‘Keep in mind, this is sacred land to us Hawaiians. Our King was raised in this valley, and it’s so important that everyone has respect while visiting this special place,’ the native told a crowd of visitors in October, SFGate reported.
During her speeches to tourists, Pule-Fujii and her team make sure to inform them of the dangers of the strenuous trail, advise them that there is no swimming allowed in the nearby ocean due to the strong current, and warn them to have enough water so they stay hydrated on their journey.
The stewards also inform travelers to refrain from getting near the roped off sand dunes that are ancient burial grounds, where Pule-Fujii’s ancestors were laid to rest.
Pule-Fujii and her team first heard that their land was purchased back in May, but they had no idea who bought it.
When she heard the donor acquired it to help out, she was left speechless.
‘When we had the meeting and he told us that he gonna keep it the way it is, I started tearing up, and he started tearing up,’ she told SFGate
‘And it was one special moment for him to feel the way that we feel.’
The big news came just as the Pololu Trailhead Management Plan was finalized in September.
And now that the area is protected, a heritage center is set to be built on the property, along with portable toilets and even a parking lot to help with the traffic brought on by the heavy visitation.
The prospective lot will work via an online reservation system, which will only allow 250 people to visit the spot per day.
Non-residents will also have to pay for parking, and those funds will be donated to the stewardship program that is currently funded through 2026.
Jackson Bauer, DOFAW trail and access specialist said the land is more than a beautiful attraction.
‘We’re not just postcards, we’re not just Instagram posts. We’re sacred spaces, and this is where people live or they die, where they worship,’ Bauer stated.
Though set plans have not yet been made on the newly purchased land, Bauer said the local community will manage it.
‘We’re really working in concert. It’s them driving it,’ he added.
‘Pololu is more than just a place for us. It’s a person, it’s our lineage … For our kupuna (elders), that valley is ohana (family) to us,’ Pule-Fujii told the outlet.