Great Crack & Ala Waiʻi Civic Engagement

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park seeks community input about the potential future use and stewardship of the remote Great Crack and Ala Waiʻi areas and will host a community "talk story" meeting at the Pāhala Community Center on Saturday, September 23 from noon to 2 p.m.

The park accepted stewardship of the 1,951-acre Great Crack in 2018, and the adjacent 2,750-acre Ala Waiʻi area in 2022 because of their unique geologic, biological and cultural resources and public concerns for the areas to be protected from future development.

The rugged areas, while mostly barren lava rock, with no surface water, few trees, and little shade, are superb examples of the geologic forces that shape the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano and are known to contain cultural and natural resources. The Pacific Ocean borders their windswept lava rock cliffs.

The park is working to create a long-term plan for managing the Great Crack and Ala Waiʻi areas. Great Crack, an 18-mile long fissure up to 50 feet wide in some places, was designated as potential wilderness in 1978 while under private ownership. Over the years, various commercial developments were proposed by the previous landowner, including a space launch facility, but none were implemented. Ala Waiʻi needs to be evaluated for wilderness eligibility.

Both areas are currently managed by the park as wilderness backcountry and are open to the public for day hiking. Overnight use is allowed with a backcountry permit obtained through Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Backcountry Office.

The public may also submit comments via mail, email, or through the Planning Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) system through October 24, 2023.

Topic Questions:

1. What are the cultural resources connected to Great Crack and/or Ala Waiʻi that we need to be aware of?

2. What are the natural and geological resources connected to Great Crack and/or Ala Waiʻi that we need to be aware of?

3. Given the resources in the area, what kind of access to the area is desired (i.e. pedestrian, vehicular, etc.)? How might that access be managed? What has past access to Great Crack and/or Ala Waiʻi and the nearby area been?

4. What types of activities would be compatible with resource stewardship? What facilities or infrastructure are needed in Great Crack and/or Ala Waiʻi? What facilities or infrastructure should not be considered? What kind of experience are you looking for (i.e. hiking, fishing, camping, backcountry/wilderness, etc.)?

5. What else would you like to share about the Great Crack and/or Ala Waiʻi parcels that we did not ask?

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