(BIVN) \u2013 A \u201cPassive Recreation\u201d Wilderness State Park is being proposed in Hilo, and one local lawmaker is touting the idea as a \u201conce-in-a-generation opportunity to expand access to nature, recreation, culture, and wellness for East Hawai\u02bbi.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project is about creating a peaceful, restorative space for the people of Hilo,\u201d said State House Representative Matthias Kusch (D, District 1), who recently announced a special community meeting on the subject. \u201cA place where keiki, k\u016bpuna, families, and pets can enjoy safe outdoor recreation while supporting mental, physical, cultural, and environmental health.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Representative:<\/p>\n
The proposed park is envisioned as a natural, low-impact sanctuary, preserving the area\u2019s open space\u2014 nearly 300 acres, while providing residents with safe, family-friendly recreation opportunities. The tax map key parcels include: 2-5-008-026, 2-5-008-027, 2-5-008-025 and 2-5-008-003.<\/p>\n
The Representative says the upcoming community meeting will \u201cprovide the first public look at the project\u2019s potential and long-term benefits\u201d. The meeting notice stated:<\/p>\n
Ideas to be considered at the meeting include:<\/p>\n
Walking trails through natural landscapes
\nBicycling paths
\nLeashed dog walking areas for pet-friendly recreation
\nPicnic pavilions for \u02bbohana gatherings
\nAny cultural sites preserved and options for cultural activities
\nA Safe Route to School corridor to improve daily student access
\nCreate pedestrian connectivity between subdivisions for residents to walk or bike
\nPreservation and expansion of native flora, fauna, and habitat
\nOpen space for quiet reflection and nature-based wellness<\/p>\n
Proposed community benefits include:<\/p>\n
Improved community wellness through walking, biking, and outdoor activity
\nGreen, accessible recreation at no cost to families
\nImproved pedestrian safety for students and nearby residents
\nDecrease in local school traffic congestion
\nEnvironmental preservation and habitat protection
\nEnhanced quality of life through clean, quiet, open space
\nNew gathering opportunities for neighborhood engagement and cultural activities<\/p>\n
Rep. Kusch says the public meeting on the proposal will be held on Wednesday, December 17, at the Hilo High School Cafeteria from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Along with the discussion on the proposed park, Rep. Kusch will also provide other District 1 and East Hawai\u02bbi Legislative highlights, and hold a Q&A.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(BIVN) \u2013 A \u201cPassive Recreation\u201d Wilderness State Park is being proposed in Hilo, and one local lawmaker is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346864,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,79],"class_list":["post-346863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}