Rich in Hawaiian artifacts and natural beauty, coastal pasturelands on Hawaii island and a valley on Molokai are among five properties the state Legacy Land Conservation Commission has prioritized for conservation in fiscal years 2020 and 2021, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced last week.

The Legacy Land Conservation Program within DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife awards grants to community organizations and government agencies to purchase and protect cultural and historical sites, agricultural lands, native ecosystems, watersheds and other resources, said David Penn, program specialist. Funds come from a land conservation fund established by the state Legislature in 2005 with proceeds from the real estate conveyance tax.

First on the list is Kaunamano, comprising 1,363 acres on the Big Island’s Kau Coast.

“Kaunamano includes sections of the alaloa, the traditional Hawaiian trail,” said Penn, “(as well as) cave shelters with petroglyphs and paintings, extensive stone walls going back to the warring periods in Kau, and mooring holes for canoes carved into shoreline boulders.”

The nonprofit Ala Kahakai Trail Association applied to acquire Kaunamano, which is licensed for cattle grazing — a use that can help protect cultural resources, Penn said. “The cowboys have their eyes on things, kind of like a security force.”

Ranked second is Moloka‘i Land Trust’s application to conserve Molokai’s Ma­pulehu Valley, where 1,816 acres include a heiau, kalo loi, and a watershed in need of restoration after damage caused by cattle and other invasive species.

Rounding out the list are oceanfront Makaalae lands in Hana, Maui, where residents camp, fish and gather, and other Big Island lands licensed for cattle grazing at Kiolakaa and Manakaa; the latter includes a fishing village on the cliffs overlooking Waikapuna.

The five projects will use the existing budget of $6.4 million, and the commission is requesting an increase to its fiscal year 2021 budget in order to protect eight other parcels, including fishponds at Halelea, Kauai, and Waikalua Loko Ia in Kailua, Oahu.

The grant approval process involves consultation with DLNR, the state Department of Agriculture, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, the president of the state Senate and the speaker of the state House, field visits, public meetings and environmental review. Final approval lies with the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Budget and Finance and Gov. David Ige.

In April, the Land Board approved applications to protect Oahu’s Pia Valley and four other properties throughout the islands.

Since its inception, Penn said, the program has spent about $29.2 million to acquire 31 properties, totaling about 14,000 acres.

The 2022 grant application period opens in January; for information, visit dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp/apply/.