Two land preservation projects — one called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the other offering hope of a new way to deal with the excruciating problem of protecting human remains — have passed an important milestone and are moving forward.
The proposals, which both entail land purchases on Oʻahu, received the green light last week from the city’s Clean Water and Natural Lands Advisory Commission.
Ke Kīpuka o Kalaeuila is the largest single surviving tract of open coastal land on Oʻahu, a 171-acre site in Kahuku adjacent to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. Conservationists have described it as “an incredible gem,” and envision the site as a potentially helping form a coastal trail along much of the North Shore, when connected with other publicly owned properties by easements across intervening land…