(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi officials are looking for proposals to protect visitation hotspots in Pohoiki, Punalu‘u and Kealakekua Bay, following the launch of a “collaborative destination management effort” in Keaukaha.

On Wednesday, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority announced the expansion of its new Hawai‘i Island Community-Based Action Stewardship Program, as it seeks to partner with “‘āina-based non-profit organizations to develop and manage a community stewardship program” at the three popular sites.

The program aims to educate visitors and protect natural and cultural spaces that have been identified in the Hawai‘i Island Destination Management Action Plan where there are concerns of “increased overcrowding, congestion, degradation of resources, and safety hazards.” Funding for the effort is provided by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

This month, tourism officials and community-based stewards gathered at Richardson Ocean Park at Waiuli to spotlight the program’s initiatives in Keaukaha.

“This initiative is a part of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s ongoing commitment to the community as we support residents’ desired approaches to managing visitor impacts and preserving natural and cultural resources in their neighborhoods,” said Caroline Anderson, HTA’s director of planning, in a news release. “The program is intended to engage stewards from each area who will help to educate others about their home and how to care for the places they are visiting.”

Contractors selected to participate in the program “will be responsible for working with the local community to recruit and hire stewards from the designated area or district”, officials say.

The program’s objectives are to:

• Increase understanding of appropriate behavior and respect for Hawaiian culture, natural resources, and the surrounding communities through positive visitor-steward interactions.
• Train stewards to share place-based mo‘olelo (history), mo‘omeheu (culture) and ho‘oulu (hope for the future).
• Emphasize safety and redirect visitors from dangerous land and ocean conditions to parks and beaches that are open for visitation.
• Minimize trespassing on private and government lands.
• Encourage visitors to pick up their ‘ōpala (rubbish) and leave the area better than when they arrived.
• Gather data for the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) Resident Sentiment Survey
• Gather data to track visitation

“We are excited to release this community stewardship RFP for island of Hawai‘i communities to address hotspot and visitor-facing concerns,” said Rachel Kaiama, IHVB’s destination manager. “With our communities at the forefront of leading these efforts, we trust their connection to the wahi pana will aloha ʻāina and mālama the people who live in and visit these special places.”

To download the Hawai‘i Island Community-Based Action Stewardship Program application and Request for Proposals, visit hvcb.org. Proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. HST on August 18, 2023, to IHVB Destination Manager Rachel Kaiama at rkaiama@hvcb.org. For more information, please call (808) 294-1737 or email rkaiama@hvcb.org.