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Federal Survey Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Survey of Hawaiian Home Lands

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Native Hawaiian Relations and Bureau of Land Management California & Hawai‘i Cadastral Survey Office are working with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and ControlPoint Surveying, Inc., a local land surveying company, to conduct a boundary survey of Hawaiian home lands.  The first phase of the survey will be conducted on lands in Nānākuli, Lualualei, and Wai‘anae.  These lands were selected due to the availability and accessibility of property records and resources and current federal project funding.
 
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:
  1. What is a boundary survey of Hawaiian home lands?  A boundary survey of Hawaiian home lands (Trust lands) starts with a review of the laws and agreements that transferred those lands to the Trust.  Once the surveyor has that information they go out to the property to ensure the boundary lines are properly marked.  If there are no boundary markers the surveyor installs new ones.
  2. ​How are the boundaries of the Trust lands marked?  The Department of the Interior uses long metal stakes with a bronze looking cap to mark boundaries when no boundary markers are present.
  3. What do I do if I see someone pulling up the boundary markers?  Call the police.  It is against both Federal and State law to tamper with the boundary markers.  Keep in mind that someone removing boundary markers may not be simply engaged in vandalism but could be attempting to steal land (for themselves or others) from the Trust.  By protecting the boundary markers you protect the Trust.
  4. Will the surveyors be looking at the boundary lines between individual homestead lots?  No.  The Department of the Interior is only surveying the outer boundaries of the Trust lands.  Any questions about boundary lines between homestead lots must be taken up with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
  5. Who do I contact if I believe a non-homestead neighbor has built on my homestead lot?  Please send an email to lisa_oshiro_suganuma@ios.doi.gov letting us know where your homestead lot is and any evidence you have that the non-homestead neighbor has built on your homestead lot.
  6. The Hawaiian Home Lands Trust has been around for almost a century.  Why is the Department of the Interior only now conducting a boundary survey?  The simple answer is the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Native Hawaiian Relations did not have the money to begin to conduct a survey of Trust lands until 2018.  If we had the money sooner we would have started sooner.
  7. Why is the survey of Hawaiian Trust lands important to both present and future beneficiaries of the Trust?  The survey:
  • Provides a genealogical history of the land going back to 1920 by establishing the legal authority for the transfer of lands to the Trust and the boundary lines of those lands.
  • Places boundary monumentation where none exists.
  • Where boundary monumentation currently exists, the survey can, through the use of modern technology, provide greater accuracy and resolve discrepancies between earlier surveys and maps.
  • Creates a Federal Records Database that will be a powerful land management tool for current and future land transactions and development.
  1. Are all Trust lands being surveyed this year?  No.  The Department of the Interior received limited funds to start Phase 1 of the survey.  A phased process helps the Department of the Interior to better understand what the final costs and challenges are for surveying the entire Trust.  Timing on additional phases will depend on future funding from Congress.
  2. Which Trust lands will be surveyed during Phase 1?  Phase 1 will survey Trust lands in Nānākuli, Lualualei, and Wai‘anae.
  3. How could the project affect me?  When in Nānākuli, Lualualei, and Wai‘anae, you may initially see ControlPoint (the Department’s local contractor) field survey crews consisting of 3 to 4 individuals wearing hard hats, safety vests, and identification along the outer boundaries of your community as they establish control points to ensure accurate, centimeter-level measurements.
    -- The Hawaiian Homes Commission authorized the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to issue a Right of Entry Permit (No. 685) to DOI and ControlPoint to allow ControlPoint field survey crews to enter the outer boundaries of your properties for the purpose of finding or recovering existing monuments and taking measurements, as well as identifying any encroachments from neighboring non-Trust land properties onto Trust land properties.
  4. Who should I contact if I need more information or if I have questions about the Survey?  Lisa Oshiro Suganuma, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Native Hawaiian Relations at lisa_oshiro_suganuma@ios.doi.gov.
  5. Where can I find more information about the Federal Survey of Hawaiian Home Lands? www.doi.gov/hawaiian/home-lands-survey

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