Special to KPUA.net by H.I.E.D.B
Hawaii Island Economic Development Board is a private non-profit organization whose mission is, "To provide and promote private-sector support and expertise for balanced economic growth in Hawaii County, in partnership with federal, state, county and private resources."

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Imagine yourself standing at the very location where the sun makes its first strike on Hawaiian land as it rises over the island chain: Cape Kumukahi. This place, of special significance to Hawaiians, can now be part of any visitor's discovery of the Big Island with the help of the new Volcano Heritage Corridor Drive Guide.

On Thursday, April 24 beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Keaau Farmers Market, the Volcano Heritage Corridor Drive Guide will debut. The guide is being made possible with support from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii County, as well as community planning groups and organizations.

The guide was originally intended as an information piece for "Harry's Highway," the cinder road in Kalapana activated by Mayor Harry Kim and community organizations. Focus changed when active lava flows returned to the National Park. The guide starts from either Keaau or Volcano, and links the Kalapana Road with the better-known Volcano Highway through the Keaau "hub."

In 1997, with funding from DBEDT and Hawaii County and technical assistance from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board published the Hilo-Hamakua Heritage Coast Drive Guide. Through plantation villages and stunning natural wonders, the guide and a companion web site share a brief history of the coastline from Waimea to Hilo. Special signage marks points of interest, visitor centers, parks and restrooms. The program was an instant success. Now, five years later, busy parking lots and storefronts attest to the simple message of consultant David Bucey, "Stop 'em safely, park 'em, give 'em restrooms and food, and THEN provide visitor information on the area." The project is a monument to sustainable community development and involvement. "It has been important for us to identify the things and places we wanted to share with visitors, and equally important to keep some just for ourselves," says Lucille Chung, one of the original planners.

The new drive will feature distinctive brown-and-white Volcano Heritage Corridor highway signs with a volcano logo to mark points of interest. Initial Visitor Center stops and sites were selected because they are immediately adjacent to the main highway, have safe turnoffs and parking, accessible restrooms and drinking water, and have volunteered to represent all community interests for the program start-up phase.

Drivers can follow the guide's map from Keaau to Pahoa Village¹s wooden sidewalks and Visitor¹s Center. The guide then interprets the Lower Puna triangle: Kapoho Road sites such as Lava Tree State Park, "Red Road," or, Ahalanui Park¹s fresh water thermal pond. Follow Highway 137 past Mackenzie State Recreational Area to where the road ends at Kalapana. Visit Kalapana¹s Painted Church on the drive back to Pahoa. Restock on refreshments and continue the Heritage Drive. The guide also provides drive-time options and cautions against non-paved or potentially hazardous locations.

The guide points out possible rest stops in Mountainview and Glenwood. The section on Volcano Village elaborates on the Farmers Market, historical village center, and the existing Visitors Center.

Program leaders noted the Drive Guide would attract a more adventurous leisure traveler in rental cars and not busloads of visitors. The objective is to "slow-down" visitors who use the area as a thoroughfare instead of a destination. The goal is to capture approximately 3% of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's 2.2 million annual visitors and have them spend a few hours or days in the Volcano-Keaau area exploring.

A companion web site will be updated continuously to supplement hard-copy brochures displayed at airports and visitor centers. No dramatic or immediate visitor number increases are anticipated. Instead, slow growth of the program insures travelers can discover Keaau-Volcano, without negatively impacting the areas' leisurely pace or quality of life.

A six-month trial will be monitored by community groups for larger public input to ensure signage placements and locations are appropriate. The dynamic and simple nature of the project makes it easy to adjust, and for public comment to be an ongoing dialogue for successful rural community development. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Department of Transportation, and the State Highways Division with support from County of Hawaii Public Works Traffic Division are providing technical assistance in safe sign placement.