DLNR Legacy Land Conservation Program opens land acquisition grants

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is inviting applications for land acquisition grants for fiscal year 2027.

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An expected $5.3 million in grant funds will be available through the Legacy Land Conservation Program (LLCP) in an effort to preserve land with environmental, cultural or historic value.

The grants also go toward protecting park and trail systems that provide access to such land.

“Legacy Land makes a difference by saving ʻāina from degradation, destruction and land use conversion,” said LLCP Program Specialist David Penn. “It requires that a land owner manage property to protect Hawaiʻi’s precious and irreplaceable resources for the benefit of present and future generations.”

The program offers two competitive grants: land acquisition and land management (only for land previously funded by the program).

Both require reviews and recommendations from the Legacy Land Conservation Commission, legislative consultation, and final approvals from the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Gov. Green.

Under Hawaii state law, the LLCP funds land acquisitions that protect the following nine key resource values:

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Successful grant applications must explain the site’s preservation value and future management plans.

More about the LLCP

Since 2005, the LLCP has managed contributions of more than 73 million dollars from the State Land Conservation Fund for 55 properties and more than 31,000 acres statewide.

LLCP recently acquired 940 acres under community-stewardship, stretching from windward Oʻahu valley lands to the Koʻolau mountain ridges (Kāneʻohe Pali to Loʻi).

Additionally, at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Kapalaoa, lineal descendants (Nā ʻŌiwi O Puʻuanahulu) reclaimed resource-rich lands to preserve and practice traditional cultural beliefs and values.

For more information on the application process, visit the program website or contact the program office at [email protected] or 808-586-0921.

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