A self-storage entrepreneur is protecting more than 2,000 acres of Hawaii agricultural land from development.

A conservation easement deal with the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust guarantees housing developments and shopping malls will never be built on 1,276 acres on the slopes of Oahu’s Waianae Mountains and 907 acres in the Big Island’s Kau district.

"I’m going to be passing on, and I’d like the lands to be kept pretty much in the shape that they are now," said Ed Olson, 79, chairman of A-American Self Storage Management Co. "I have taken care of my family. This is just lots of property I own and I want to put it in the right hands."

About two-thirds of the Oahu acres are currently used by three small ranchers, who will continue to lease the land. The northernmost section, about 200 to 300 acres, is forest that provides habitat for native birds.

The area has views of Pearl Harbor and across the southern coast to Diamond Head.

"It’s mostly used for pasture, and I think it would be nice to keep it that way. There’s enough homes going up on Makakilo there," Olson said. "I just thought that should remain as it is."

The acres in Kau were once used to grow sugar cane, but are now mostly overrun by Christmas berry, an invasive species. Most of the land is expected to be used by renewable energy producer Aina Koa Pono, which plans to grow sweet sorghum, eucalyptus and other crops for biofuels.

Dale Bonar, executive director of the land trust, said development in Kau is currently slow, but the deal ensures the land will be protected when it picks up.

"One day there will be a lot more people in Hawaii, people in all these areas. That may be 20, 50, 100 years from now. And so it will be protecting that agriculture and scenic open space," Bonar said.

Olson bought the Oahu property from Campbell Estate after Del Monte stopped growing pineapple on the land. He bought the Kau property from C. Brewer & Co. after it stopped growing sugar there.