For years Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Colette Machado was part of Molokai's anti-development movement. But Machado says she had a change of heart after Molokai Ranch, the island’s largest landowner, became a willing partner in the effort to reach a compromise that would address both development and conservation.

“That process changed my life,” says Machado. “We're always looking to find a middle road that will protect the best of our island and to allow some form of economic evolvement.”

Machado says the proposed development of Laau Point in exchange for 54,000 acres of land owned by Molokai Ranch was a deal she could live with. “It was intended to create a stable economic environment,” she said.

As part of the deal the transferred land would be controlled by a community land trust and Molokai Ranch would have revived the dormant Kaluakoi Resort.

Instead, Molokai Ranch is ceasing all operations at the end of the month resulting in 120 Molokai residents losing their jobs. Machado says with no other economic engine to fall back on those who are being laid off will have a difficult time finding jobs on the island.

“It's pretty done,” said Machado, “we're not going to be looking at growth on the island unless its government sponsored.”

Governor Linda Lingle remembers how Molokai’s workforce transitioned from an economy based on agriculture to one centered more on tourism in the 1970’s when pineapple growing operations ceased and the Sheraton Molokai was opened.

“At that time it was a phase out of one industry but there was something there replacing it,” said the governor. “It was a matter of retraining. This is a very different situation. This is a situation of nothing to transition to in a big way.”

Andrew may be reached at apereira@khon2.com or ph. 591-4263.