The sale of the Kuamoo Battlefield and Burial Grounds in Keauhou is official. The nonprofit Aloha Kuamoo Aina and the Trust for Public Land Hawaii closed with the former owners of the 47-acre tract on Thursday, and the land is now in the ownership of AKA.
The nonprofit group plans to preserve and restore the historic site as well as build an education center on the land. The land had been owned by Margaret Schattauer before the the $4.25 million purchase, made possible by a $3 million grant from the State Legacy Lands Fund, $500,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and numerous contributions.
The legacy lands fund has protected 23 culturally and environmentally significant areas encompassing more than 22,000 acres.
“We are thankful that the battlefield and burial grounds of our ancestors will be cared for and protected from future development and disturbance,” said Kamanaopono Crabbe, CEO of the OHA, in a statement.
By West Hawaii Today staff and wire sources