Eight years after lava flows from Kilauea’s 2018 eruption ran through parts of Isaac Kepo‘okalani Hale Beach Park in lower Puna, Hawaii County is moving forward with plans to restore and make improvements to the recreational area.

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Eight years after lava flows from Kilauea’s 2018 eruption ran through parts of Isaac Kepo‘okalani Hale Beach Park in lower Puna, Hawaii County is moving forward with plans to restore and make improvements to the recreational area.

A draft environmental assessment for the project was published this week, finding that it could move forward without significant environmental impacts. It is now available for members of the public to review and submit comments.

The approximately 15-acre beach park was one of many areas in the region damaged during the eruption, which destroyed over 700 homes and structures and forever altered the island’s southeast coastline. Pohoiki Bay, where the park is located, is one of few remaining accessible ocean access points in Puna.

While plans to make repairs and upgrades at the park have been repeatedly delayed since the eruption, County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, who represents lower Puna, said the draft EA marks a step forward. Earlier this year, she introduced a resolution urging the county to take more urgent action at the beach park, which received unanimous support from other council members.

“We’ve been in recovery for over eight years now … and what’s been disappointing is that the county, over three administrations, essentially moved the goalpost, saying it’s gonna be restored in ’24, and then ’26, and now it’s looking like ’28,” she told the Tribune-Herald on Wednesday. “I think that’s gotten people confused, upset, disappointed, and so that’s why the EA is important, because it shows real progress.”

The park reopened following the eruption, but with limited facilities, reduced infrastructure and no camping. The lava flow damaged water and wastewater systems at the park as well as electricity, drainage and lighting. All of these issues are slated to be addressed through the project.

Additional plans for the park’s revitalization, which were created with input from community members through the 2022 Revitalize Pohoiki plan, include more gathering spaces, a canoe storage area, easily accessible campsites and cultural educational signage.

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“The park plan is very much rooted in how community would like to use that space, especially given the drastic change to the physical environment,” Kierkiewicz said.

A portion of the park was completely inundated with lava during the eruption, and the Pohoiki Boat Ramp — which once provided ocean access for subsistence fishers as well as surfers and swimmers — is no longer functional due to volcanic debris that has filled the bay, despite efforts by the state to clear it.

While the county has said those areas are not part of the park restoration project — the lava-covered portion has been deemed “unrecoverable,” and the boat ramp is owned and overseen by the state — Kierkiewicz said the conditions have shaped the plans.

“There is no boat ramp. The surf spots and playgrounds have been covered by lava. So, we’re having to reorient ourselves to how we could use the space,” she said. “That’s why the park has certain treatments. There is going to be camping available, and there’s more fire pits for barbecuing, and walkable trails to encourage movement, and more hale pavilions so that we have more gathering spaces. So, it’s kind of reemerging to be a different kind of beach park.”

According to the draft EA, $3.1 million in disaster recovery funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been allocated for the project. The project is expected to receive the necessary authorizations by next year, with construction scheduled to take 10-14 months once a contract for the work is awarded following a public bidding process.

The draft EA is now available online for a 30-day public review and comment period, which will close on Oct. 23. It can be viewed at tinyurl.com/529pawt7, and any comments should be submitted to [email protected].

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Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].